Delmire's Drabble Dump
by Delmire
Summary: Dump for all stand alone drabbles and some drabble series. AUs vary but some are based in my existing AUs.
1. Head Scratches

Asami hid a smile as he sat down on the plush leather couch, Akihito quickly following behind. His young lover was talking animatedly about his new spring photography project for a magazine and he was practically quivering in excitement. He sat cross legged on the couch beside Asami as he continued to gesture wildly in his enthusiasm. Perhaps it was mean to not pay attention but Asami couldn't keep up with the flow of words. The businessman would never admit it, but he adored seeing this childlike excitement from his little lover. The way his eyes lit up in delight, the way he almost bounced in place as though he couldn't contain his enthusiasm, and most of all, how he always had to share it with Asami.

Reaching out, Asami carefully carded his fingers through Akihito's soft hair before gently scratching his nails along his scalp. It was much the way one would pet a cat, he mused. It was something he knew Akihito liked but he didn't anticipate the reaction he got this time.

"But, the... They... The... The... Hngh..." Akihito trailed off as he leant into his hand. The young man listed dangerously to the side, so close to falling off the couch that Asami had to catch him so he didn't fall. He bit back a smile as Akihito sighed in pleasure and just sat, still and relaxed against him, as his head was scratched. It was something he usually only did when they were curled up in bed together, with Akihito's head on his chest. He could have sworn previously that he would almost purr but he had never anticipated this particular reaction. And here Akihito wondered why Asami affectionately referred to him as his kitten.


	2. Vampire AU

**Vampire AU**

Akihito was making squeaky sounds of protest again. The young vampire had previously admitted that being wrapped up like a sushi roll was surprisingly comfortable and his protests mainly came from the indignity of it all. Something about being wrapped in Asami's silk handkerchief and sitting in his pocket seemed to rankle him. The pout and small grumpy squeaks weren't a deterrence for the businessman however, if anything it was exceedingly endearing.

The disgruntled sounds soon changed to excited little squeaks when they entered the kitchen. It was with great effort that Asami fought a smile as he pulled a small selection of fruits from the fridge. Vampires, he had learned, could eat human food for enjoyment, it just didn't give them any sustenance at all. Something that Akihito took great advantage of, scarfing down copious amounts of bad sugary food while in his human form. But his taste buds changed as a bat, instead he was something like a fruit bat although blood was still his primary food group even in that form.

Asami had quickly discovered that hand feeding little Akihito bat all sorts of fruity delights was a pleasure in itself. The young vampire was in that form to recover from their rather prolific bedroom activities so the least he could do was feed him. It was particularly adorable with his fuzzy little head poking out, big expressive eyes and adorable little squeaks of delight. Once he had filled the little bats belly until it was bulging out with fruits, all that was required was a small cut to the finger and a drop of blood would send Akihito into a food coma.

Then Asami could carry on with his work day with his little lover snoozing in his pocket recovering for their next round of activities; this time in the office.


	3. Asami's Birthday

**Asami's Birthday**

Akihito had spent a great deal of time thinking about what exactly to get his lover for his birthday but had come up blank again and again. What did you get the man who could buy himself literally anything? Asami always made an effort to get him something incredibly thoughtful so he was desperately wanting to do the same in return.

In the end, what he had come up with was a little unusual.

Akihito had paid to complete a massage course. It wouldn't be the first time Asami had roped him into giving him a massage but he didn't know how to do it properly. Even better, this would be like an ongoing gift. He was aware that Asami did go for a professional massage somewhat frequently, all that stress builds up, so now he wouldn't have to. He had even brought some super fancy massage oils just for the occasion. All soft, relaxing scents and he had done the bedroom up with candles as well. All told it was a rather relaxing, romantic affair.

Asami had quirked an eyebrow at him when he had found out what his present was and his amused smirk intensified at the soft candlelit bedroom but the man had obeyed Akihito's instructions. So now he was straddled across his lovers broad back, carefully kneading the large knots in the muscles. He had been initially surprised just how many and how large they were but Asami did have a stressful job, it certainly wouldn't be a walk in the park to be the kingpin of Japan. So he carefully utilised his new knowledge, determined to be completely thorough.

He didn't know how much time passed but a good while judging from the amount of wax pooling around the candles. Akihito leaned back with a sigh and shook out his slightly sore hands. It was well worth the slight pain to do such a good job. Asami didn't move however. After a moment of stretching out his stiff muscles, Akihito leaned forward to peer at his lover only to find his face slack with sleep. He grinned and slipped off his back to lie quietly beside him. Years always dropped off his face in sleep, Asami looked almost boyish, but most importantly, he had been relaxed enough to just fall asleep under Akihito's fingers.

Happy that he had done well, Akihito snuggle even closer. Might as well take a little nap with his lover now, no doubt he would need all his energy when Asami woke up and decided to claim his usual birthday treat.


	4. Vampire AU 2

**Vampire AU**

Akihito had discovered that Asami's apartment complex had a massive indoor pool. It was heated with pretty pool lights and large floor to ceiling windows to capture the natural light if you wanted to sunbathe. Long story short, it was Akihito's new favourite place to hang out.

He sighed as he just floated in place before moving his wings to propel himself forward slightly. Swimming in bat form was amazing. He floated far more easily and he even conserved energy rather than using it. Akihito lowered his snout just enough to be covered by the water and blew out, blowing a very satisfying stream of bubbles.

A woman came in with a bag and towel, took one look at Akihito before turning on her heel and walking out. The young vampire wasn't sure what her problem was but he wasn't going to complain, it was nice having the area to himself.

Unfortunately his calm floating was interrupted some time later by Asami himself. Akihito idly watched as the man stripped down, baring all those drool worthy muscles, before gracing diving into the pool. Didn't the man have some sense of modesty? What if the woman came back? He was naked!

As Asami headed his way, Akihito realised too late that he was in trouble. He paddled with his wings but bats were made for leisurely swims, not anything fast. A large hand wrapped around his middle and lifted him out of the water to face a very familiar smirk.

"I was informed that there was a very small bat drowning in the pool, you should be glad I came to rescue you myself."

Akihito snorted and poked out his tongue in a petty display of defiance. Stupid Asami looked far to smug as he pulled them both from the pool and wrapped Akihito in a small fuzzy towel. He sighed as he let himself be dried, he could feel his fuzzy hair sticking up. Stupid Asami was doing it on purpose. The continued smirk just confirmed it.

Whatever, he would sneak back later for more swimming.


	5. Vampire AU 3

**Vampire AU**

Asami sighed as the bed dipped ever so slightly. He had only just crawled into bed too. There had been a shootout at one of warehouses due to a rivalry that wasn't even directly related to him and he had to go down to sort it out in person. Having been up for thirty-six hours straight, he was beyond tired at this point. It wasn't his fault the idiots got the wrong warehouse and his men had done everything right yet it still ended up as a mess.

The bed moved slightly again and he shot his hand out blindly, pulling the culprit disturbing his sleep down on top of his chest. Akihito squeaked as he flailed about, trying unsuccessfully to stay upright. Asami cracked open an eye to observe the red eyes glowing in the dark up at him.

"Hungry?" he said voice thick with sleep.

"I uh..." Akihito fidgeted and glanced away. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

Asami huffed as he pulled the young vampire up, letting his eyes slip shut as he moved his head to the side. When Akihito didn't move, he pulled him closer still, so that his lithe body was on top of his own. He slipped a hand into soft hair and physically pulled Akihito's head forward. The vampire had yet to drink from the veins in his neck, he always avoided it as though embarrassed. Which was laughable considering what they had done in the bedroom already.

"Drink."

The vampire squirmed in place before finally relaxing. Asami hummed as a warm tongue tentatively licked at his neck. It was cute how he always put so much time into making sure he minimized as much of the pain as possible and was so polite about his need to drink blood. He only felt the slightest prick of pain as long fangs sunk into his neck. It was far more intimate like this, with Akihito's body pressed along his own. Compared to the searing pain he had felt with all the other vampires that he had let drink from his neck, this was an extremely pleasant experience. In fact, if he hadn't been so tired, he would have gone so far as to call it pleasurable and certainly his body was stirring at the feeling.

Seemingly satisfied, Akihito lapped at his neck to help seal the wound shut and get the last drops of blood. Asami waited until the vampire started to move away before wrapping his arms tighter around him and rolling over. Akihito shuffled around until he was tucked under Asami's chin and they both quickly fell asleep.


	6. Omegaverse

**I'm too tired and busy to do a chapter today so there's two drabbles instead. Omegaverse mpreg**

Akihito sighed as he finished plating up the last part of dinner. Asami was hovering behind him, trying to not get in the way but failing miserably. It didn't matter how many times he told the alpha that he was fine and in fact it was better that he was active, he wouldn't leave him alone.

To be fair, he was due in only a few weeks and his stomach had ballooned out to almost comical proportions. Asami had started off fine but the more Akihito's stomach swelled with child, the more possessive and bestial the alpha became.

Done with their dinner preparations, Akihito stepped back to observe his handy work.

"Ah!" he exclaimed, stopping Asami in his tracks after he had moved forward, clearly intent on picking him up. "I can still walk thank you very much."

The alpha actually growled slightly, clearly not liking being denied. "Your feet are swollen and you are hobbling around. You need to rest."

"It's good for the baby if I'm not completely sedentary, the doctor told us remember. I can at least cook dinner. You want our little girl healthy, right?"

Asami scowled but didn't respond. Akihito thought he might have finally won as he was allowed to set the table without interference, other than the looming presence behind him. The omega could only sigh in defeat as Asami scooped him up into his arms as soon as the last plate was set down and settled him on his lap. He obediently opened his mouth and let his mate feed him.

Akihito had quickly learnt just how strong Asami's protective instincts ran and was far too tired to try and fight about something so silly. He would need his energy for the next time he tried to move about, walking around like this was certainly not fun. But the possessive hand on his stomach was comforting. His stomach rippled under the alphas hand as their little girl kicked out and he hid a grin at Asami's rumbling growl of approval.


	7. Omegaverse 2

**Omegaverse mpreg**

Akihito groaned as he dragged himself to his feet. His ankles had swollen up again and walking wasn't comfortable. Still, he was determined to cook dinner. There wasn't much housework that he could do now with his waddle and massive stomach but he hated sitting around all day too. If Asami could, he would have the omega waited on hand and foot. There was no way Akihito was letting that happen, however.

The omega squealed in fright as large arms scooped him up and he gripped onto Asami shoulders desperately.

"You scared me!" He admonished the alpha.

"I'm home," Asami said as he nuzzled against his cheek.

"Welcome home," Akihito replied with a small sigh. With their little girl pressing on his bladder the way she was, it was lucky he didn't pee himself in his fright.

Asami's possessiveness had gone through the roof with Akihito's pregnancy. It was at the point now that while they were together, the alpha had to be physically touching him at all times. If he wasn't able to, his mood became like a dark cloud and he loomed threateningly over the omega to 'protect' him. From what exactly, he wasn't sure. The doctor claimed it was an alpha thing and suggested kindly that he pick his battles.

The only one he had won so far was being allowed to cook still. It irked him no end but he understood that Asami couldn't just turn off those feelings anymore than he could turn off the awful mood swings. He sighed as Asami carefully deposited him on the couch as though he was made of glass before moving to take a swollen foot in hand.

"Asami," he whined, "I need to make dinner."

"I've already ordered sushi."

And that was the end of that. The alpha skilfully kneaded Akihito's poor feet, ankles and calves with his long fingers. It was a daily routine now, Asami would come home and the first thing he would do was rub his feet. It had started after a grumpy off hand comment by Akihito.

" _If you're going to have your hands all over me, then at least put them to good use."_

Asami had been initially taken aback but had been putting those talented fingers to good use ever since. He groaned as Asami moved up to release all the knots in his shoulders. He needed to keep this going as a regular occurrence. Akihito honestly didn't think he had been looked after so well before.

Akihito was almost nodding off by the time Asami was done. The alpha moved away and the omega settled back into the couch. His mate returned a few minutes later with sushi and carefully manoeuvred him to sit in his lap. This hand feeding this was irritating but Akihito was too full of goodwill after his sore feet being taken care of. Asami had to nudge him awake multiple times until the food was all gone. He fell asleep with his face tucked into his alphas neck and arms wrapped tightly about his frame.


	8. Little Kisses

Akihito was generally extremely cute in his actions. It was something that Asami had come to appreciate but never state aloud. His little lover did not take well to the term even though it perfectly fit his actions. Be it the bright smiles or dancing around the kitchen, cute was a word that he had become very familiar with.

It had been recently taken to new heights however.

The first time Akihito had stepped up onto his tip toes to hurriedly press a kiss to his cheek, Asami had thought it intentional. Akihito was oddly shy with his psychical affections and preferred to show his feelings through taking care of Asami by cooking or cleaning.

The next time it happened, Akihito pressed his lips against the side of his mouth and the time after that got his chin. It took some time for Asami to figure out that perhaps that was not actually what Akihito had been intending, instead he was missing his intended mark due to pure embarrassment.

Not to worry, Asami had the perfect solution.

The next time Akihito tried to give him a quick kiss and caught his chin, he didn't let the young man run away, instead he trapped him in his arms. Pulling him up against his body, Asami pressed a soft kiss to his lovers lips before pulling away to smirk down at him.

"Was that what you were aiming for?"

Akihito's face flushed immediately and he tried to hide his face in Asami's shirt. He might not have answered directly but his embarrassment spoke the truth loud enough. Asami nudged his chin up to press another soft kiss directly on his lips. Once, twice, a third time. Again and again he showered him with gentle kisses, reveling in his lover's warm body and soft lips against his own.

"Don't worry Akihito, we can practice until you are used to it."

He cut off a flustered denial with yet another kiss still and decided that perhaps this wasn't a bad way to spend the afternoon. And the evening could be spent doing other, more intimate, activities.


	9. Introspection

**AN: I'm marking this off as complete after this but I will still update from time to time. It's just going to be my place to throw stuff that stand alone and under 1k words ^^**

 **An Akihito introspection on Asami and feelings (post cannon)**

Akihito sighed in exhausted bliss as he faceplanted onto the bed. Lazily he put one arm out blindly in Asami's rough direction and made grabby gestures with his hand. The small snort amidst the rustling as his lover fished around for his cigarettes told Akihito that he had been seen. He pulled his arm back in and waited for the tell-tale feeling of Asami lying down beside him. The small whoomph sound and slight jostle of the bed indicated his lover's presence. Akihito finally turned his face to look at the man just as he was lighting up a smoke. The older man took a deep drag, exhaling slowly, before he reached over to pull him onto his chest. Akihito smiled sleepily and snuggled closer, lazily rearranging his limbs until he was comfortable.

"You always get clingy after we play with pain," Asami commented idly as his hand trailed down Akihito's back to brush his fingers across the top of his still stinging ass.

"It wasn't that bad," he replied with a yawn. His ass was no doubt bright red still but there wouldn't be any bruising tomorrow, just maybe a slight tenderness. "Anyway, you're the needy one."

Asami didn't deign that with a reply but his lack of denial was confirmation enough. Akihito shut his eyes and lay there quietly, enjoying the closeness after an intense few rounds of sex. Gentle fingers absently drew patterns on his back while his lover enjoyed his post-coital smoke.

It was interesting to think back on the way they had changed over the years. Asami had never been a stay the night after sex person but surprisingly, he had never been a fuck and run either. He had always stayed around for a while after sex, usually enjoying a moment of indulgence with a smoke or a drink while they both regained their breath. He had always been surprisingly touchy feely with Akihito. He liked having his hands on Akihito's body or be kissing him during sex. Even with their rough start it had been like that. It didn't take long for post sex cuddles and snuggling in general to become a thing as they both gradually let their guards down.

It had taken Akihito a rather appallingly large amount of time to figure out just how needy Asami actually was. The man was adept at keeping Akihito off balance and hiding his own feelings behind cold words, something that hurt him until he realised that Asami was scared. Scared his feelings and that was the only way he knew how to hide it, to appear as though he wasn't as deep in these emotions as Akihito. So he was a little bit emotionally constipated, but he couldn't deny having feelings completely. All that casual touching, the arm around his waist, the hand ruffling his hair, pulling Akihito into his lap; it did eventually give him away. Along with the slight smiles, startled laughter, and late nights on the couch with gore-y horror movies.

It was all very domestic and affectionate. Asami might gently tease Akihito for his housewife tendencies but he always thanked him for the food and quietly complimented his cooking. He always asked how his day had been, even though he already knew. And just lately, when they were still in bed after however many rounds of mind-blowing sex, Asami would pull Akihito onto his chest and they would just lie there in comfortable silence. Just enjoying the warmth and comfort provided by the other. Akihito's favourite part was when Asami would absently trace small patterns on his skin. Gently, oh so gently, tracing his fingers in small circles. He would stay very relaxed and still, because as soon as he moved, the man would stop, as though he hadn't been aware he was doing it in the first place.

Akihito shifted to place his hand on Asami's chest, right over his heart. He could feel the slow thump-thump-thump of his heart beating under his hand. His lover made a small noise in question at the action.

"You say a great deal without words."

"Do I now?" Asami said, amusement obvious but there was an underlying hint of curiosity.

"Mm," Akihito hummed but didn't reply further.

He knew without a doubt that if he ever wanted to put words to their relationship, it was going to be up to him to man up and say something first. As uninhibited as Asami was in the bedroom, prying any words beyond 'you are mine' from the man was hopeless. Still, he wasn't quite ready to go down that path just yet. They could finally read each other without words, no need to throw a spanner in the works just yet.

Akihito tilted his head back and made a stupid kissy face at his lover, earning himself a snort of amusement. Even so, the man bent down and bestowed him with a soft kiss. Hiding a smile, Akihito tucked himself back under Asami's chin and settled down for a nap in his lover's arms.


	10. Meet the Parents - Akihito

**AN: AU where their age gap is less, Akihito still has his own apartment and his shit slightly more together. A drabble of accidental coming out. Also I have a headcanon that a more financially secure Akihito would totally have a big loft bed (see photo on tumblr, facebook or AO3 if you don't know what that is or google) with a TV, beanbag and gaming system underneath. (Asami's probably hit his head on the roof a few times during sexy times over at Aki's apartment XD)**

Akihito huffed a laugh as he tried to move to reach the bowl of pancake batter from where he was standing. He could just about reach.

"This would be a lot easier if you would go sit down and wait. Or help. I mean, it is my birthday after all."

There was no reply other than Asami nuzzling his face into Akihito's hair. The man was draped over him, arms around his waist and chin resting on his head like some human sized blanket. The sleepy, soft, affectionate neediness would be extremely cute if it didn't make cooking them breakfast rather difficult.

It was early for them to be out of bed, both of them tended to work late and sleep most of the mornings. But Akihito had cleared this whole day free as a little birthday treat for himself. Of course, his lover found out and decided to crash at his apartment last night. Well, afternoon. In fact, Asami had come around so early to start their 'birthday celebrations' that they had both fallen asleep midevening! Now well rested, complete with some lazy morning activities, they were driven to get up for some nourishing breakfast.

"If I tried to help you cook in your kitchen, you would have an anxiety attack any time I tried to do anything. Would you even let me near the stove at all?" Asami said, his amused voice slightly muffled by Akihito's hair.

Akihito thought about it for a moment. "No. No I wouldn't. You burnt the eggs the last time I saw you try to cook anything."

"I have it on good authority that eggs are extremely easy to overcook."

"Overcooking is very different to burning." Akihito replied dryly.

"We could always go out for breakfast."

"I can cook, no need to put it on your fancy credit card. You just want to get out of having pancakes. Well, too bad. It's my birthday, I get to choose what we are having."

"And you can have pancakes while I have something else."

"Nope! These are half done already and anyway, I like cooking. But I'm making yours with blueberries see? These ones are a little bitter so it won't be so sweet and you won't need anything crazy on top."

"While you drown yours in syrup, I assume?"

"Yup!" Akihito hummed happily as he poured more mixture into the pan. "You're heavy, you know." He said after a moment of silence. Asami made a noncommittal noise in response. "You big lump. Honestly, you'd lose your reputation as Mr Big Bad CEO if anyone else saw you like this." Another small hum from his lover.

Akihito craned his neck around for a quick kiss and stopped in his tracks. Standing in his doorway with raised eye brows was his parents. They stared in silence for a few moments, Asami's arms tightening around Akihito's frame but otherwise the man made no attempt to move away.

"How…?" Akihito said uncertainly.

"Your friend, Takato-kun, lent us his emergency spare key to your apartment. He said that you didn't have anything planned so we thought we'd come in and make you a nice home cooked breakfast while you slept in before going out for the day. He thought it was possible that you might have some plans this evening with your 'rich girlfriend' but I see that's not exactly the case." His mother's tone was deceptively light, but her eyes sparkled with an unholy light.

"Really, Akihito? Girlfriend?" Asami moved just enough to be able to look Akihito in the eye and raise his eyebrow in bemusement.

Akihito flushed bright red ad tried to shrug Asami off but the large arms around his waist just tightened in response. "I never told them that. They just… Made assumptions on their own."

"That you never bothered to correct."

"Yeah, well. It's easier this way."

Any further bickering was interrupted by Akihito's mother who had started to advance further into his tiny apartment. His father was giving him a pitying look from a safe distance away.

"While this domesticity is all very cute, I believe you have a great deal of explaining to do, _Akihito."_ The way she said his name sent shivers of fear down his spine. "And some introductions are in order. Then we should be going out for a lovely family outing while we get to know this very handsome significant other of yours, don't you think?"

The glare made it very clear that there was no room for negotiation. Akihito gulped and nodded his shaky assent while Asami stepped forward to formally introduce himself.

And thus the pancakes were burnt, Asami paid for a nice breakfast in the city with his fancy credit card and Akihito got the grilling of his young life. Also the story of how Asami's first impression on the older Takaba's was so cute and domestic with their son that they could never see him as the big bad businessman with a scary reputation. Instead they doted on him even more than they did their only son. It took all of two hours for Akihito's mother to start referring to him as her handsome son-in-law. Asami remains mildly baffled but endlessly amused by the surprising turn of events and uses it to tease Akihito constantly.


	11. Sick Asami

Akihito frowned down at the empty pill packet in his hands. Five days of cold and flu tablets all used. Asami had been working late quite frequently over the last month and even more so this week. There didn't seem to be anything specific to cause the extra work hours but Akihito had been so busy with his own stake out work that he hadn't thought too much of it.

Now he understood exactly what was going on.

For all that Asami would rest when he had an injury, sickness just seemed to irritate the businessman and he would always attempt to work through it. Akihito however, would never let him. He could always tell when his lover was feeling unwell and always joined forces with Asami's staff to get him to stay at home. He just didn't seem to think that the concept of 'rest or you'll get worse' applies to him. Yet when Akihito was sick, he was banned from leaving the penthouse until a doctor cleared him! The double standard irked him but more than that, he worried about the older man.

Asami was clearly avoiding him. He knew that Akihito would immediately know that he was unwell and force him to rest. He might be able to hide it from his staff but he couldn't hide from him. Idly pondering his options, Akihito moved to rummage through Asami's bedside table drawers. He generally respected his lovers space and left his things alone but this was one of the few times that went out the window. Unfortunately, he didn't find what he was looking for.

In the end, Akihito sent off a politely worded email to Asami's personal physician, hoping that the man kept to the same doctor as usual. Less than twenty minutes later a reply came through that held just a single attachment. Akihito opened it up and there it was, exactly what he had been looking for.

A medical certificate excusing Asami from work for a week. The week that Asami had been working. Honestly, he worked far too much. Enough that anytime he was forced to take time off, the doctor always tried to force him to take extra. It barely ever worked. The only time it did work was when Akihito sacrificed his ass and subsequently his ability to walk.

Shaking his head at his lover's stubbornness, Akihito forwarded the medical certificate to the one person that he knew would get Asami home ASAP. Kirishima didn't respond but he was certain the man wouldn't let him down. They were often at odds, both inadvertently vying for Asami's time while having very different outlooks on life, but the one thing they always agreed on was Asami's rest time.

Sure enough, he heard the door to the penthouse open less than an hour later. In that time, Akihito had gotten a nice little nest on the couch for his lover and started on some of his favourite foods for dinner. He made his way over the entranceway to greet a scowling Asami and a very determined looking Kirishima who was blocking the doorway.

Asami looked up and caught his eye with a grimace. It was easy to spot the minor pallor of his skin, the slight flush to his face, and the tired lines under his eyes that screamed for more rest. Wordlessly Akihito crossed his arms over his chest and scowled back. A few moments of silent war were waged before Asami sighed.

"I'm home." Asami's voice had the slightest burr to it.

"Welcome home," Akihito said softly in return as he walked forward to help his lover remove his coat.

"Thank you for your message, Akihito-kun. Please let me know if you need anything." Akihito waved at Kirishima as he made his exit after one final disapproving frown at his boss.

"You both worry too much." Akihito made a disbelieving noise at the back of his throat as he dragged Asami into the bathroom for a nice soak in the bath. "I'm fine."

"Uh huh. Just shut up and let me wash your hair."

Asami huffed but obediently let Akihito strip him off and push him into the bath. He was quiet throughout being carefully washed, showing just how bad he must be feeling even with the medicine. His suggestive smirk made a brief appearance as he let Akihito towel him dry before helping him into his favourite track pants and t-shirt combo. He stopped just short of the couch, eyeing the nest Akihito had set up for him before heaving a very large sigh, the last of the tension draining from his frame as he officially conceded defeat.

With great care, Akihito tucked him into the blankets and settled him against the pillows. He fussed over him for a bit, even finding an interesting documentary for him to watch before heading off to the kitchen to continue his food preparation. When he returned not long after with a hot drink, Asami was already fast asleep.

Clearly it had been a lot worse than he had been letting on. Akihito set down the hot drink before fishing his camera out to snap a quick photo of Asami looking very cute all rugged up for posterity. He would add it to his secret collection of photos showing that Asami was, indeed, human.


	12. Vampire AU 4

**Vampire AU**

This whole 'accidentally moving in with number one big bad crime lord' thing certainly had some perks. Akihito was still based in his home city of Tokyo so he could still hang out with his friends and family like usual. But now no one was suspicious of his odd hours, he had extremely comfortable lodgings, and a constant supply of all the delicious exotic fruits and sweets that he could ever dream of.

Also there was the added bonus of a continuous, and very willing, supply of human blood. It was a great deal - provided one ignores the fact that he was moved without his consent and that he might just have an addiction. Not that Asami cared. If anything the man was downright adamant that he be the only source of sustenance for Akihito.

He honestly wasn't complaining.

Except he kind of was.

It was the indignity of it all really.

Akihito was a vampire. Inhuman and dangerous. Vampires were the ultimate human enemy; they lusted after human blood after all.

Yet not only did Asami not seem to care, the damn man actually liked carrying Akihito around in his pocket like some cute little pet.

But it got worse.

Akihito had somewhat gotten used to that. It irritated him to be manipulated into his tiny bat form due to rigorous bedroom activities then pumped full of sweet fruits and topped with blood to knock him out. But the sweet fruits were delicious and it made the indignity all the more bearable.

But this.

This was a new low.

Here he was, minding his own business licking the sweet mango juices from his humans fingers when suddenly he found himself on his belly in Asami's large hand. Then out of nowhere the man produced a goddamn toothbrush and started gently brushing his fur.

A toothbrush.

He was a super species of the night and some human was petting him with a damn toothbrush.

Asami just sat there this stupid smirk on his face and kept brushing his fur. It was just a generic, cheap tooth brush. Nothing fancy or anything. In fact, it was almost laughable to see something that could be found in any commoners mart in the businessman's hands. It would be more funny except Akihito doubted that he went and purchased it himself.

But honestly, the absolute worse part of the whole thing was that it felt so. Damn. Good.

He wanted to be indignant. He wanted to scream his outrage over being brushed with a damn toothbrush. But all he could do was lie there and take it and pretend not to enjoy it. His belly was pooching out with all the fruits he had been stuffed with and he was feeling too sluggish to fly away.

As much as he pouted and grumbled squeakily at Asami, he was fairly certain that the man saw straight through and knew just how good the brushing felt too.

Perhaps that was the worst thing of all.

Because he was never going to live it down now.


	13. Kirishima POV

Kirishima wondered how he ever thought that Takaba Akihito would be out of his hair within a month. At the time, he had dismissed the young man as nothing more than a play thing for his boss to pass the time. He mistakenly assumed that a few evenings would be all it took to satisfy Asami's curiosity before he was moving onto someone else.

That was how it had always worked, after all.

Until this bright eyed, optimistic brat invaded their lives by utterly captivating the most powerful man in all of Asia.

Not that Takaba Akihito cared about that.

Oh, he certainly cared about Asami, regardless of his wailing and carrying on. He might call his boss a great and varied list of names, usually starting with bastard and ending with pervert, but it seemed to be no more than their game. They seemed to live to tease and bait the other. A playful competition with no defined rules beyond name calling, disconnected phone calls, and gifts of all things. Takaba hated unnecessary or expensive gifts and Asami used the weapon well. Although a well placed bribe of high quality sushi would have Takaba easily agreeing to a vast number of things.

It was surprisingly useful knowledge for Kirishima.

No, he wasn't sure how he managed to miss the now blindingly obvious signs but he can't say he was disappointed in his boss's choice. Not when they looked at each other like they did. It was like when they were together, everyone else in the world fell away and there was only each other.

There had been a small accident while they were out eating lunch with a few close business associates. Takaba had been invited along as all the others had brought their wives and it was easy to see how he set everyone else at ease. The tension had been resolved almost before it settled in and there was more than one smile floating about the table. Unfortunately one of the waitresses had tripped and her serving tray had gone flying, resulting in a mess but also a small cut from a flying knife on Asami's cheek. Someone had fetched a first aid kit and now Asami stood leaning slightly against the table with an arm around Akihito who stood far too close as he fussed over the small wound.

No one was ever allowed to fuss over Asami, it was one his pet hates. Yet here he was, giving his lover a soft, teasing look as he let him care for him. Akihito chattered away playfully mock teasing as he fussed, and the look he was returning was just as soft and teasing.

Both gazes held so much love and adoration Kirishima honestly wondered how he could ever have been so blind. They both stood as though trapped in their own little world, just like they often did, while the few onlookers watched with small smiles.

For all their differences, they seemed to fit together perfectly.

It was a relationship that many fought hard to protect. And if there was anyone in the world that thought love made someone weaker, they were sorely mistaken. Asami's empire had never been so strong. He knew he had a weakness in Takaba. So he ruled with an iron fist and expanded his empire ever higher so that he could wield enough power to protect his own. He was even more brutal and unforgiving than ever before to those that went against him.

He was now truly Tokyo's uncrowned King of the Underworld.

Interestingly enough, that small bit of perceived weakness made Asami's staff all the more loyal. Suddenly he wasn't a cold hearted, unfeeling, genius who expected impossible things of his staff. Suddenly he was human. Suddenly he had emotions and fears and worry. The staff saw it, only brief glimpses here and there, but it was enough. The staff saw it and Asami won over their hearts and trust like he never had before and each of them would give their lives to protect his bright bundle of joy.

Takaba Akihito himself just cemented that feeling from the staff. From his upbeat, quirky personality to his genuine care and interest in other people. He would pop in with homemade bentos and scold his lover for not eating well enough. He phoned in for Asami and made him actually stay at home and rest while sick. Asami actually let him do it with only a token protest and a childish demand for attention.

The pair of them were the most love sick couple Kirishima had ever seen, although they would both protest that sentiment violently.

He just hoped that he would not be required to plan their wedding.

Kirishima did not get paid enough to deal with that. At least he knew it wouldn't be happening for a while yet. They were the most stubborn fools, after all.

But everyone always said that love is blind.


	14. Kirishima POV 2

**A/N: Hi! So from now until next year, I will be on a mini hiatus. There might be a chapter tomorrow (maybe) but if there is going to be anything else it will just be drabbles. No guarantees though! I won't be home and my iPad is dying so I've lost my portable writing. I have family flying over next week that I haven't seen in like a year so I will be spending all my free time with them until they head back home after new years ^^**

Kirishima rearranged the documents in his arms as he weaved his way through the office. It was just another Tuesday, meetings that required preparation, clients to attend to, paperwork to complete. And yet, it was a momentous day for all that.

Today marked Asami Ryuichi's and Takaba Akihito's fourth anniversary.

If you had asked Kirishima within that first year if they would stay together that long, he would have scoffed at the very suggestion. But here they were, celebrating four years together. He hadn't even realised until Asami mentioned that he was taking the evening off for that very reason.

Where had the time gone?

As much as their relationship had caused him no end of grief in the beginning, they had finally settled in and matched each other quite nicely now. Takaba in particular had grown on not only Kirishima, but all the Sion staff to the point they all completely approved of the relationship. Even though he had heard things he really didn't need to and seen things that he would really rather forget. He wasn't entirely sure if one of them possessed exhibitionist tendencies or if they just didn't care if anyone walked in on them. Perhaps both but he certainly wasn't keen on finding out for sure.

Regardless, the staff had put together an excellent anniversary present for the happy couple.

Kirishima knocked on his boss's office door before immediately letting himself in. At least he didn't have to worry about walking in on anything when Takaba wasn't around.

"Asami-sama," he said with a small bow. "I've brought the reports you requested and a gift from the staff."

"Oh?" That had caught Asami's attention. "A gift?"

Kirishima nodded as he approached the wide desk. "A anniversary present from us all." He didn't elaborate any further and instead handed a large folder over.

It was quite satisfying watching that normally impassive face morph into genuine surprise. Golden eyes went wide and the man sat staring at the folder in his hands before flipping through the pages slowly.

"Is this...?"

"Wedding plans," Kirishima confirmed, pushing up his glasses in an effort to hide his smirk. "I believe we have considered and planned for any preference. Large wedding, small intimate affair, eloping. Colour schemes, accents, and even guest lists have been planned out."

"This is very... Detailed." He couldn't quite hide the upward twitch of his lips at the utterly bewildered expression his boss was fighting down ineffectually.

"This is a joint effort that has taken place over nearly eight months," he admitted. "Every time you were too busy with Takaba and the staff had to wait to see you, they added more to these plans. I don't recall who started it but it has become a rather popular pass time. We are running out of ideas so it felt fitting to hand it over in light of your milestone today. Consider this as the staffs way of saying 'put a ring on it already'."

Kirishima finally let his smile slip free at the incredulous laugh let loose by his boss. Asami seemed a little lost for words but a smile was tugging at his lips as he pursued the pages with more interest. There was a familiar glint in his eyes that suggested he was seriously considering the idea.

"Duly noted."

Looks like a wedding might finally be in the near future and now, Kirishima wouldn't even have to worry about it. Sion's staff had already thought of everything, anything else can be taken to a professional wedding planner. If only that would mean Asami would get less distracted with his work. That unfortunately was probably never going to happen. At least his boss would be motivated to finish up all his work if he knew he was leaving on a honeymoon. That was good enough for now.


	15. Christmas

**A Christmas drabble! Aki is listening to a cover of 'All I want for Christmas' in minor key (pretend its a Japanese version idk)**

Asami strolled into the penthouse, pleased to finally be home. As much as he wouldn't deny the workaholic title, spending ninety percent of the last two weeks working was not what he liked doing. Oh no, he much preferred interspersing his work time with far more pleasurable activities involving a little wildcat of his. Unfortunately some rather important negotiations had been underway that he had to attend to personally, especially as he was looking to leave the country for a week.

But now the negotiations were over and the paperwork complete. All that was left was to whisk one Takaba Akihito away for a surprise week long holiday in the tropics.

He paused as he placed his briefcase down on the table and started to remove his leather gloves. Festive music was blaring out from the kitchen giving away his lovers location. With a small smirk in place, Asami silently made his way to Akihito and stopped just inside the kitchen door way.

And there he was, bouncing around the kitchen in briefs and a baggy t-shirt while he sang snatches of whatever Christmas pop song was playing on his phone. Asami took a moment to just watch his lover and appreciate just how at home he seemed in his kitchen. Akihito had recently started referring to the penthouse as home rather than 'the penthouse' or 'Asami's apartment' and this relaxed state just highlighted this change. It filled him with no small sense of satisfaction to see the obvious proof of how far their relationship has progressed in his lovers demeanor.

The song ended and changed across to a far more melancholy sound than he expected. Akihito had been listening to upbeat Christmas songs for most of December but this was very different. Instead of just humming along or sing only snatches of the song, Akihito sang along right from the start. The mood in the kitchen had sobered almost immediately and Asami listened carefully to the lyrics his lover was singing so mournfully. It was a surprisingly heartfelt performance by Akihito and the overall tone of the song gave off an unrequited love feel.

One thing was clear, he had been neglecting his little lover over the last two weeks. Akihito might never admit to it but the emotion he was pouring into this song gave him away.

Over and over the song repeated one line: All I want for Christmas is you.

Asami stalked forward as the song wound to a close and slipped his arms around his lovers trim waist. Akihito jumped in surprise before he relaxed back against his chest.

"Bastard! Don't scare me like that!" Akihito scolded before adding; "Welcome home."

"I'm home," Asami replied, nuzzling into soft blonde hair.

"You're lucky I put enough food on for you too," Akihito grumbled as he continued with the food preparation. Interestingly enough, he didn't try and escape or shoo Asami away like he normally would. Even his tone seemed flatter than usual. "I thought you'd be late again tonight too."

"Yet you still made me dinner every other night too." Asami replied, noting with amusement the pink tint to Akihito's cheeks the comment caused. Akihito grumbled something unintelligible in reply but he was certain he caught the words 'bastard' and 'jerk' in there. "Now, once we have had dinner, you'll need to pack a bag. Light clothes preferably and something to swim in."

Akihito swung around to peer up at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"We are going to Hawaii for a week," he replied, feigning innocence and delighting in the shell shocked expression that adorned his lovers face.

"WHAT?!"

"Merry Christmas, Akihito."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" Akihito exclaimed as he waved his spatula around wildly.

"It was a surprise."

"But..." Akihito looked like he was still struggling to comprehend what was happening. "What about New Years?! I had plans with my friends!"

"They all have passports, don't they? We won't be using the jet on that day, they can be flown over for in time for New Years." Asami said dismissively. He wasn't about to lose his opportunity to spend a week alone with his little wildcat but he could spare the drunkard for a few hours to count the new year in with his friends. He wasn't averse to a drunk Akihito full of goodwill.

"You can't just..." He trailed off as he stared at Asami, clearly at a loss.

"Merry Christmas, Akihito." Asami repeated before leaning in to claim Akihito's lips in a fierce kiss. They were both short of breath by the time they parted and his lovers face was a very attractive shade of pink. The businessman turned to leave the kitchen without another word but smiled as he caught Akihito's grumble just as he passed through the door.

"That bastard! And all I got him was a tie!"


	16. Drunk Asami

**A/N: Drunk Asami on the subject of pet names. Probably occ.**

"Are you… Are you drunk?" Akihito asked in disbelief. Asami leered from where he was leaning heavily against the kitchen doorway. He wobbled slightly as he moved forward, barely keeping his balance. "Oh my god, you are."

"I was drinking with a client," Asami slurred as he draped himself over Akihito, "but I much prefer to be home with my feisty little kitten."

"Don't call me that," Akihito grumbled back as he tried to stop the already wandering hands from making their way under his clothing.

"Why not? You're my fiery little wildcat, all snarls and sharp claws on the outside. But oh, you purr for me, don't you? Mmm, I'll make you purr for me right here." Akihito's breath hitched as Asami nibbled that one weak spot just under his ear.

"Just call me Aki then, like everyone else."

"No," Asami slurred as he pulled back to look at him. If he didn't know better, he would have said the older man was pouting.

"Why not?"

"Because everyone else calls you that," was the sulky reply. Akihito gaped. Asami was honest to god pouting. He had never seen such a childish expression on the other man's face before. Hands smoothed over his clothing as his lover apparently drunkenly appreciated his form.

"So you just want to be special." Akihito deadpanned. Asami nodded in confirmation and wobbled precariously as he nearly lost his balance. He barely caught the older man and rolled his eyes as Asami took it as an opportunity to drape himself back over him. "If I'm going to call you anything else, I just call you Ryu."

"No one else calls me that. Only you." Asami slurred as he began fiddling with the back of Akihito's apron. He flushed, he hadn't known that he was the only one to call him that. The note of satisfaction and pride in his lovers tone left a warm feeling in his chest. "Your mother calls you darling and even though you taste so sweet, sweetie or honey as pet names are just sickening. For all your appearance on the surface, you are not, in fact, an angel. Unless there are angels in hell?" he mused as he fiddled with the apron and Akihito suddenly realised that he must be trying to remove but was struggling in his inebriated state. "You are far too naughty for a heaven angel. Such dirty desires you have. But ahh, how I enjoy satisfying them. So perhaps an angel from hell, a fitting place for us both in truth."

Akihito's face was bright red as he listened, speechless, to Asami's drunken ramblings. He had clearly put a lot of thought into this before now. The man moved and began to kiss along his neck in between his slurred words.

"So naughty angel was an option. But it's two words, I want something shorter or I may as well call you Akihito. Baby is a viable option. Ahh, I can just see the angry blush and splutters as I call you that. Very satisfying. Hmm, Baaaaby?" Asami drawled right into his ear, deep and low. "But kitten is still far more accurate. It sums you up so well. My fiery little spit fire. God, I love your fire. I cannot tell you how hot it gets me when you get all fired up with those defiant eyes. It doesn't matter that you know how it will end, you never stop fighting. Fuck you get me going."

Akihito wondered if it was possible to blush right down to your toes. He had never heard Asami speak like this before. To be fair, he had never seen the man anywhere near this drunk before. He was completely wasted. There was a small sound of triumph and he felt the apron shift as the back finally came loose. It was a testament to Asami's intoxication that it took that long. Or perhaps it was more that the man couldn't multi task in this state because normally Akihito would have been out of his clothing in two seconds flat if that's what he wanted.

"Okay, enough of that. How about you go sit on the couch and I'll get you some water." Asami bit down on his neck and Akihito gasped. He automatically arched into his lover at the sensation and had to force himself back. Grabbing Asami by the shoulders, he managed to pull him off and steer him into the lounge. The man was pouting again, clearly unhappy about being denied. "How about," Akihito said as he avoided the grabby hands trying to pull him onto the couch, "You drink all the glass of water I'm going to get for you and I'll do something for you in return."

"The sort of something where you get down on your knees for me?" Asami's voice was husky with arousal and he leaned back into the couch as he awaited his answer.

"Sure, if that's what you want." Akihito was glad that at least he couldn't blush any more. It just wasn't physically possible. At this point he was willing to agree to anything if it meant that Asami would behave for a moment. He could always worm his way out of it later if he wanted to. "Now wait there. I'll reward you only if you behave."

He could feel the eyes on his ass as he dashed out of the room. Akihito grabbed his phone and noticed an unread message from his lover's secretary.

 _Please make sure he drinks water._

 _WTF, why is he drunk?!_ he messaged back.

The reply came as he was finishing pouring a glass of water.

 _I apologise. There was a meeting today with a client that required a level of inebriation to get through without someone being shot. Normally I would let him sober up before bringing him home but he was quite eager to see you. He'll most likely sleep. You do not want to know the amount of whiskey it took to get him in that state._

That bad, huh? Well then. Akihito returned to the living room to find his lover passed out on the couch. He set the glass of water down and took a moment to appreciate how relaxed he seemed in sleep. He never liked the pet names, they always felt so teasing, almost mocking. But if Asami had put that much thought into, then maybe he would let it slide occasionally.


	17. Vampire AU 5

**A/N: So the lack of chapters at the moment is actually because I'm sick, like bedridden and had to get a CT scan yesterday sick. I wrote this little drabble on my laptop lying down which was awkward but lying down is the only way to lessen the dizziness currently and I'm getting writing withdrawals again XD We only have suspicions as to whats wrong and will hopefully find out today for sure!**

 **But in the mean time, have some Aki!bat:**

Akihito had been going through a 'I am a super being of the night, you can't treat me like this' phase. This would be more convincing if he didn't conveniently ignore that mantra when food was involved or hadn't taken to roosting in Asami's tie rack. There was more than one occasion when he had noticed the wardrobe slightly ajar, but thinking nothing of it, thrown open the door only to be confronted by a sleepy, disgruntled bat. As such, he had installed various hanging locations just for Akihito in the penthouse. He had yet to receive any thanks for the effort but the young vampire actually using them was thanks enough.

Life was certainly more interesting now that he was so closely tied to the young vampire. So closely linked that Akihito could no longer feed from anyone but Asami. A discovery that sparked this entire rebellious phase. After checking in with Fei Long, the head vampire for one of the large vampire houses, it turns out that they had unwittingly formed a 'symbiotic bond'.

Every time a vampire feeds a little bit of venom is injected into their prey, it's what helps the healing process for the wound. Over time, a vampire feeding on only one human means that they are slowly building up more and more of this venom in their body. The effect was to mutual benefit. Akihito got a steady supply of blood that was slowly changing to fit his needs and tastes perfectly. In return, Asami got increased life span, stronger immune system, and sharper senses. It was a bond rarely seen in modern times but had been much more common in the past. They could quite possibly be together, side by side, for many hundreds of years. The longer they stayed together, however, the more likely they wouldn't survive if they lost the other. They would become so dependent on each other that it was considered a bond stronger than any marriage or pact.

Asami was thrilled to have such a cute, interesting, and amusing life mate. Akihito on the other hand, was going through his vampiric teenaged rebellion.

He stared at the mutinous looking bat that was once again hanging on his tie rack. It appeared that the next stage of his rebellion was to ignore the conveniently placed hanging points and instead roost in his wardrobe again. It was kind of cute though. A little bat with big eyes and a pout surround by colourful ties. He reached out and gently scratched the fluffy head exactly how he liked but he just earned himself a scowl and a huff. Changing tact, Asami removed his shirt as he walked over to his bedside table. There he found a small needle and used it to carefully pick his finger. Akihito hadn't eaten in days and he wasn't above using such methods.

Asami had just turned around when something whacked him in the side of the face. The tug of feet curling into his hair and the small bat face that appeared to cover his vision answered his question as to what had happened. He held up his finger for Akihito to suckle at enthusiastically. He must be even hungrier than he realised. It was rather difficult to see with a bat hanging off his hair and over his face but he managed to manoeuvre his way to the bed. Sitting back against the headboard, he gently removed the little bat from his hair and placed him down on the blankets between his legs.

"Come now, Akihito," Asami said with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, "There's more where that came from if you'd just change back."

A blonde vampire now sat between his knees with the same pout in place as the small bat had. Asami titled his head to the side to display his neck and watched with amusement as Akihito's red eye's flashed as his hunger took over him.

"You don't have to be so smug about it, bastard."

Asami drew Akihito forward so that he was straddling his lap and pressed his head down to his neck. "Ah, but I am quite pleased with having you as mine." A warm tongue licked at his flesh as the vampire sought out the perfect spot to sink his fangs into. He would have though Akihito would know without the need for that now. Unless of course, that was all part of the fun.

"Yeah, well. It goes both ways," Akihito reminded him before scraping his fangs over his skin warningly.

"It does," Asami replied solemnly. That seemed to give Akihito pause before he sank his fangs into Asami's neck. There was no pain now, only a thrill of pleasure that ran down his spine at the action. With a wicked smirk, Asami ran his hands down Akihito's sides before slipping his hands under the waistband of his pants. He pulled a moan from the vampire at his neck as he squeezed the flesh he found there.

Feeding time was always pleasurable for them both now that he had worked out how to get what he wanted before Akihito passed out in a food coma. Then he would have a little snoozing bat companion come to work with him that afternoon for the first time in nearly a week.


	18. Date Night

**AN: Slice of life: Date night & small introspection (post canon)**

"I went to that stupid gala with you and beat off all those gold diggers with stick so now it's my turn!" Akihito waggled a finger at him while glaring suspiciously, as though he was going to forget their agreement.

"Of course. Did you really think I'd go back on my word?" Asami replied. "I have the evening off and it's your choice of dinner on me."

"Good. Now you need to get changed, you can't go to a place where you eat with your fingers in a three piece suit." Akihito turned to rummage around through their wardrobe, apparently set on dressing Asami as though he wasn't perfectly capable of doing so himself. "It's an all you can eat wings buffet near Kou's place. The wings are amazing and they do unlimited drinks and sides too. Ah hah!"

Akihito pulled out a pair of dark jeans triumphantly and thrust them at Asami. He took them without comment and stripped off his suit while his little lover went back to invading the wardrobe. Next a casual shirt was tossed to him and Akihito watched critically as he dressed. He stepped in to roll up his shirt sleeves and made sure he left it untucked, clearly trying to keep it him as casual as possible. He could feel his eyes on him as he moved to put on his watch.

"I don't know why you are so averse to jeans. You look hot as fuck in them and I could only dream of filling them out the way you do. I mean, I thought all the working out would leave your ass looking flat but it's really not. Firm yes, but surprisingly round."

Asami turned back to raise an amused eyebrow at his lover. "If you are done extolling the virtues of my ass…?"

Akihito grinned cheekily and darted forward to land a slap on his ass before dashing out of the bedroom. Asami couldn't help his chuckle at his lover's antics. It had taken a long time before Akihito had been confident enough in himself and in their relationship to start speaking his thoughts aloud and even longer to be able to do so with no trace of embarrassment. But it was truly a delight now that he would speak so his mind freely, almost absently. Akihito had always been like an open book but one could never know exactly what someone else was thinking unless they said it. It was certainly nice now he was open about his appreciation of Asami. He had confessed that he had been worried about stroking Asami's ego if he put his thoughts into words but his lack of 'brain-to-mouth' filter, as he called it, could cut his ego down as easily as it could inflate it.

"We aren't taking the limo," Akihito called from further in the penthouse before appearing with the keys to Asami's favourite red sports car.

"I would have thought you would prefer something less conspicuous."

"You don't down own anything 'less conspicuous'," Akihito replied drily as he handed over the keys. "And that black BMW doesn't count. It's a fancy branded car with suspiciously tinted windows and would only not stand out when parked with a whole bunch of sports cars. And this one is your favourite but you don't get to drive it very often."

Asami smiled as they headed out the door and down to the garage. Typical Akihito, still thinking of him even when it was his day to do what he wanted. Their trip into the suburbs was full of Akihito's animated conversations and arguments over music taste. It was nice to be able to be so relaxed with someone. The enthusiastic blonde practically dragged Asami into the small hole-in the-wall restaurant and proudly announced to the waitress that they had a reservation. It was interesting being the one trailing behind, he was so used to being the person leading and coordinating that it was almost odd to stand back.

They were sat down at a small, two person booth and Akihito immediately ordered the buffets and chose a selection of flavoured wings.

"So they will keep bringing out wings and sides until we are full!" Akihito practically vibrated in his seat as they waited for the food to come out. "They are the best wings as well, just wait till you try them!" Drinks came out to Asami's surprise and he was reminded that everything was included in the buffet price. He could see why this place was a favourite of Akihito's already. Just cooked and burning hot chips and garlic bread were brought out shortly after and Akihito looked like he had gone to heaven.

It was nice for a low priced restaurant. Clean, orderly, and the service prompt. As much as Akihito mocked him for going to all the fancy restaurants that were so expensive there were no prices on the menu, all he really wanted was to make sure he got those three things plus good food. There was no price to good service and good food, especially when money wasn't an object. He didn't have the time nor patience to wait around at a bad restaurant.

When the wings where served, Asami had to admit that his lover was right, the food was excellent. It was messy and greasy, but the wings where hot, crunchy, and came in many delicious flavours. Akihito dug in with a gusto normally reserved only for desert.

"How did you get sauce in your hair?" Asami asked incredulously as they slowed down with the food.

"How are you not messy?" Akihito countered as he brought up sticky fingers to remove it and Asami knocked them away with a small tsk. He removed the offending sauce with a paper towel in a very date-like gesture and was pleased when Akihito didn't try to stop him. The blonde could be a little shy in public still when it came to Asami, but it seemed like he didn't care today. It felt like the date it was supposed to be; just the two of them in a crowd, talking and laughing while they ate. They were rarely so uninterrupted when they went out.

Finally done with having eaten his weight in chicken wings, Akihito leaned back with a groan and rubbed his pouching stomach. "That was so good."

"It was," Asami agreed. Akihito looked at him with a grin that just screamed 'I told you so' but surprisingly he said nothing else. Perhaps he also didn't want to interrupt with warm, soft atmosphere that surrounded them.

There was a commotion at the counter as Asami went to pay and the couple in front of them were throwing profanities at the poor waitress behind the counter. They stormed out without paying as the staff called after them but they left without stopping and the poor girl looked like she was about to cry.

Asami stepped up to the counter and handed over a large bill. "I would like to pay for our table as well as the ones before us that didn't pay."

Her eyes flew wide and she shook her head. "Oh no! You don't have to do that!"

"I insist."

Uncertain and clearly thrown off guard, she muttered something about getting the owner and vanished out the back. Asami briefly contemplated just leaving the bill on the register but she returned very quickly with a stooped old man.

"I wish to pay for my table but also the bill for the table that did not pay. Your service, staff, and food is excellent and deserves the full payment. Please keep the change as well."

"He's pretty stubborn," Akihito piped up in a stage whisper from next to him. "He'll stand here all night if he needs to, I would recommend just doing as he says."

Wordlessly grateful, the owner reluctantly accepted the money with a low bow and many heartfelt thankyous. As they stepped out onto the sidewalk to make their way back to the car, Akihito bumped shoulders with him as he took his hand in his own. Asami glanced to the side to see Akihito staring ahead with a slight blush as he intertwined their fingers even more. He wordlessly squeezed the warm hand in reassurance as they strolled without care, picking up the conversation from where it left off in the restaurant. The statement of affection and ownership from Akihito for all to see left a small smile on his face he couldn't remove even as he scoffed at Akihito's proclamation that he was going to buy Asami a silly printed t-shirt to go with his jeans for next time.

But truthfully, all that Asami cared about was that there would be many more next times.


	19. Introspection - Asami's Ass Edition

**A/N: An Akihito introspection on sex, their sex, and Asami's ass.**

 **AKA ode to Asami's ass**

 **I had to bump up the rating to M just for this drabble haha but I've been thinking about this since the previous drabble with confident Aki and ass slapping and here we are. Apparently I have headcanons related to Asami's ass and confident Aki's appreciation of it *sweatdrop***

Akihito could be a little slow to the uptake sometimes. Asami would probably laugh at that before agreeing wholeheartedly but quite frankly, it was partially his fault for 'speaking' mainly in non-verbal ways. Sometimes Akihito just needed to be told things in words. Although sometimes hearing it in words can completely blow his mind, like the first time Asami oh-so-casually said he loved him. Holy Shit. World shattering stuff. Which amused Asami no end because apparently he had been saying it without words for years before that. And so had Akihito apparently but he had no idea how he came to THAT conclusion. He got a drawled lecture about 'actions speaking louder than words' after that but Akihito was still reeling over the whole confession thing that he didn't really pay attention.

So he might just be a little oblivious.

That's fine, he got there eventually. He had long since come to terms with their relationship and their 'dynamics' so to speak. In fact, he liked how they worked. He loved how Asami made a mess out of him, how he took control, and all the filthy things he did. It had taken him a long time to realise that he didn't want it any other way. At the very beginning, way back when their relationship could be barely be called such a thing, he had fantasied about topping Asami. As time went on, he realised that it wasn't about taking Asami as much as it was about holding onto some semblance of control. Because Asami had come into his life like a whirlwind and turned everything upside down so fast he couldn't keep up. He was adult enough at this point to realise that he thought that if he could have enough control to take Asami, then it would mean he'd have enough control to take back the reigns of his life.

But his life had finally stabilised and he was aware of himself and his wants enough to know that he didn't want Asami in that way. Literally zero interest. He had also figured out that he liked giving up his control, in the bedroom at least, to Asami and that he still had more power than he had initially realised. Once he had reached that earth shattering little personal insight it was surprising how quickly he had accepted the fact that he might be more than a little masochistic. The first day he didn't protest when Asami decided to spank him had the older man wary, then cautious, then downright delighted and resulted in some of the best sex ever. It had only been getting better from there.

He understood himself, he accepted himself, he accepted their relationship, and he would admit to the world that he loved Asami.

So why was it that anything to do with Asami's ass felt taboo?

He was lying in bed watching Asami get dressed with his eyes fixed firmly on that toned round ass and he kind of wanted bite it. Maybe grope it a little. Maybe a slap. He had no interest in what lay hidden between those cheeks, something that was probably Asami's only hard limit, so what did it matter that he wanted to touch it a little? Asami was surprisingly generous with his body. Akihito was almost certain he wouldn't mind.

And yet it still felt weird. Taboo. It shouldn't. He knew it shouldn't. He was blatantly staring by this point and all Asami did was smirk at him through the full length mirror. He was clearly okay with his appraisal and downright appreciation of his body. Akihito knew just how long he spent at the gym working out his daily frustrations with weights under the watchful eye of his personal trainer. In fact, Akihito had met the personal trainer once before and upon finding out who he was, he had unashamedly declared that he regularly made Asami do weighted squats to 'keep him looking fine for his husband'. At the time Akihito wasn't sure if he was more flustered over the husband comment or the fact that he was ensuring Asami's ass looked good just for him.

It wasn't like Asami was some super top just-let-me-fuck-you-so-I-can-get-off kind of person either. Well, it certainly seemed that way at the start but truthfully, and this had taken Akihito an appallingly large amount of time to figure out, he got off on getting Akihito off. But even more than that, there were things that Asami liked during sex that initially seemed at odds to his super-sadistic-seme persona. Like the fact that he genuine enjoyed sucking dick. Or that he actually did like a bit of pain too. He loved it when Akihito pulled his hair as he sucked him off, like really gripped on it to an eye watering degree, and he liked it when he scratched his nails down his back when he felt overwhelmed with pleasure. One time Akihito's nails were a little long and he scratched so hard that Asami bled and the man fucking loved it.

So he understood that they weren't constrained to little bubbles of you must only like these things or these things, nothing else and certainly not both. He got it, he really did, but he still felt weird about wanting to grope that tight ass just a little.

Maybe all Akihito needed was to get used to the idea. So he should just do a little field testing. Touch it a little and see how Asami reacted then go from there.

 **VF**

Akihito peaked around the doorway to the kitchen. Asami was standing with his back to him pursuing his phone while he waited for his coffee to brew. It was the perfect opportunity. Eyes firmly on the prize, Akihito had to admit that his lover filled out pants fucking perfectly. Like so well he needed the coarse word to show his sheer level of appreciation for it. Sneaking forward, Akihito brought his hand up and paused before bringing it down with a loud CRACK on Asami's ass. He had a brief glimpse of his lover's startled face turning to look at him before he was bolting out of the kitchen at breakneck speed.

Hysterical laughter bubbled out of him as he ran and he must sound like a complete maniac. His hand stung and the feeling of those firm muscles refusing to move under his hand had been fleeting but fantastic. Also the look on his face had been priceless. Akihito tried to stop his giggling but he couldn't. That had been way too fun.

Deep rumbling laughter met his ears and Akihito relaxed at the sound. Asami hadn't minded, had found it funny even. Even though that wasn't the most subtle or effective way of going about this. Footsteps sounded the man's approach and he looked up as his lover entered the bedroom where he had fled to. Akihito flushed at the smirk in place but held his gaze as he got right up in his space.

"You don't need to be so shy, Akihito."

"Oh?" Akihito's voice was annoyingly breathy but he couldn't help it as Asami pressed his body against his own. He had the feeling that the man had noticed his extra blatant staring lately.

"I'll tell you if I don't like something."

Taking the bait, Akihito slipped his hands around Asami's waist and ventured down. Lower and lower they went until he had two handfuls of firm ass and squeezed. Holy shit. It felt as amazing as it looked. Asami laughed again, probably at the look on his face, before leaning down for a kiss.

And just like that, Akihito realised that nothing had changed between them. It made no difference. Asami didn't mind and Akihito could feel and look all he wanted. There was literally no reason for that area to be taboo just because of the potential sexual insinuation that he had no interest in. That Asami knew he had no interest in. So he might be a little slow to the uptake but it really did help when Asami actually put things into words.

And he was totally going to take the opportunity to smack that ass stealthily again in future. It was way too fun to resist.


	20. Shy Akihito

Akihito peered around the door to stare at Asami. The man in question was sitting in his bathrobe watching the news with a tumbler of whiskey in hand. He had an air of relaxation and contentment that Akihito was secretly thrilled he got to witness. This man was notorious for hiding everything behind a cool façade.

But not even the relaxed atmosphere helped Akihito with what he wanted to do.

He was used to going at Asami's pace, always getting swept up by the man and it was easier to just go with the flow.

Which meant that he didn't know how to go about this.

How the hell did he ask him out on what could only be called a date?

There was an awesome new burger place that opened up walking distance from their apartment and he wanted to try it out. It might not be the fancy places that Asami was used to but it was totally his turn to take the man out on a date. Not that they had called any of their previous outings dates but that's totally what they were, even if they did always end in Asami making a mess of him somewhere. Often somewhere entirely inappropriate.

How many times had he been dragged to a fancy sushi place and then out to a hotel? Or to a show? Then there was that time at the fancy cinema.

They were totally dates.

Asami had chosen places that he thought Akihito would like but thy were all 'Asami style' places. It was Akihito's turn to drag Asami out to a place that was more his style to try.

But he didn't know how to ask.

Hell, the only times Akihito ever initiated things with Asami was when he was drunk or horny. Both states of mind were shameless and he had no qualms about baiting the man to get what he wanted. Which was usually encouraging him to have his way with him.

That was not what he wanted right now.

"Are you going to hide behind the door all evening or are you going to join me?"

Akihito jumped at the amused baritone of his lover and scowled. Damn, how long had be known he was there? Dragging his feet, he moved into the lounge and sat down on the other end of the couch. Pulling his feet up, he rested his chin on his knees as he faced Asami. His heart was pounding in his chest and he could feel his cheeks heating up with embarrassment already.

Shit, he hadn't even said anything and already he felt like a teenager about to ask their crush out and confess their feelings.

How long had they been together for? How many things had they done together? Why was asking the man on a date so embarrassing when last night he hadn't blushed even when he was tied naked to the bed and the man did terribly erotic things with his tongue?

Although he was blushing thinking about it now.

"Do you have something to say, Akihito?"

Asami moved to face him more and the way he said his name should be illegal. Golden eyes danced with amusement as they watched him fidget nervously while he gathered up the courage to ask him out for a damn burger.

Akihito opened his mouth to ask but lost confidence half way through. The worst part was that now Asami knew that he had something on his mind, he would get it out of him by any means necessary. He really didn't want to fail so badly that Asami has to use bedroom methods to get him to confess his desire for a casual date.

"I-I wanted to ask…" he trailed off and took a deep breath as he stared a hole in the couch. He could do this. Another deep breath then he said very quickly, "if you wanted to go to that new burger place with me?"

Silence greeted his words and he didn't dare look up to see what expression Asami was making.

"Are you asking me out on a date?"

Akihito flushed and chewed worriedly on his lip. "Maybe."

A large hand reached out to tip his head back and he finally met his lover's eyes. They were filled with warmth and amusement, but not the mocking kind of laughter that so often was seen in those golden depths.

"When do you want to go?"

"Really? You'll come with me?" Akihito lit up and looked up at Asami with surprise. The man's lips twitched up into a warm half smile at his enthusiasm.

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Well, I'M taking you out this time, so that means no suits and I'm paying, got it?"

Asami raised an eyebrow at his demands but his smile widened and he chuckled.

"Alright then. When are you thinking?"

"Whenever you don't have an evening meeting. They are open for dinner but they close at midnight."

"Tomorrow then," Asami replied.

"Okay!" Akihito beamed at his lover. HE was taking Asami out!

He leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to his lover's lips. It was soft, gentle, and held a warm promise rather than the usual heated suggestion. When he pulled back, it was to see Asami staring at him in wide-eyed surprise.

Akihito blinked, confused until he realised the sheer emotion that he had put into that kiss. He flushed bright red and went to move away hastily but Asami grabbed him and pulled him back in for another.

Their lips slotted together and once again it was soft and gentle, a promise of emotion that he really didn't want to think too much on right now. Asami made no move to deepen the kiss, instead matching Akihito's slow pace. He didn't know what to make of it, the feelings were about to short circuit his brain in an entirely different way than he was used to.

They did heated passion and desperate couplings. But this hinted at a depth of feeling he wasn't yet ready to face.

He was breathless when they parted, his face as red as it could be. There was a flash of a nameless emotion in Asami's eyes, gone too quick to place but it left him feeling warm. He stuttered something about getting a drink and fled to cool down in the kitchen.

He wasn't ready to face his own feelings just yet. He could acknowledge Asami for his lover but maybe, just maybe, there was more to them than steamy night trysts.


	21. Meet the Parents - Asami

Akihito stretched and grinned at his protesting muscles. It was a good ache, the kind of ache that came from a very satisfying night. It was only the third time he had spent the night with Asami after they had run into each other in one of the older man's clubs but it only got better and better.

Honestly, it was the best sex he had ever.

For now, he was keen to steal a cup of the super smooth expensive coffee before he headed to work. He wandered through the state of the art apartment wearing only his briefs and one of Asami's shirts. The man seemed to enjoy seeing him in them and he wasn't about to complain at the extra attention it earned. He felt like the hottest thing on the planet right now with the smoky look he was given as he climbed out of bed. Who would turn down such a blatant compliment so early in the morning?

The coffee machine whirred to life and he set about grabbing them both some breakfast. He was also hungry and was using the excuse of cooking for them both to get away with helping himself to food. He was high on satisfaction after last night's activities and was happy to enjoy that feeling for a little while longer before he came back to reality.

The penthouse door clicked open as he was lazily setting the table and he looked up to see an older couple walk into the room a few seconds later. He froze, staring at them with wide eyes like a deer in headlights. They stopped in their tracks and stared back.

Asami walked into the room wearing baggy pyjamas a moment later only to stop with the same shocked expression upon seeing the couple.

"Mother, father," he greeted stiffly. "What are you doing here?"

Oh fuck. These were his parents?

"Every time we try and organise to come and visit our only son, you always say you're too busy," the woman said with a dignified arch of her eyebrow.

"That's because I am busy," Asami muttered then with a small sigh, waved at Akihito. "This is Takaba Akihito."

Akihito wrapped the loose shirt tighter about his frame and bowed slightly as he murmured a greeting. Holy shit, they were on fuck three; no dates, no suggestion of a relationship and he was meeting the man's parents! Worse he had no pants on, was wearing the other man's shirt, had sex hair, and probably more than a few visible marks on his skin. To top it off, he was a man and clearly much younger than Asami.

His good mood from earlier disappeared in a flash as he prepared for the most awkward walk of shame in his life.

"Takaba, this Asami Masahiro and Asami Hanako, my parents," he continued gesturing to his father then mother.

They both politely greeted him with no hint of judgement on their faces. What on earth were they used to seeing when they visited their son to be so unperturbed by his appearance and honestly, his very presence?

"I ah," Akihito mumbled awkwardly looking between Asami's stony face and his calmly dignified parents, "I'll just get going…"

"Nonsense," the woman said, turning her attention to Akihito. "We are interrupting your breakfast. Please carry on, we can settle ourselves in."

Ah fuck, it gets worse.

"I can throw together some more breakfast if you haven't already eaten?" he offered tentatively, still sneaking glances between Asami and his mother. His father had yet to say anything beyond his greeting but he seemed content to hang back while his wife took the lead. If anything, he looked rather amused by what was taking place.

"That would be lovely, Takaba-kun, but please don't take too much trouble on our account."

"It's fine." He awkwardly starting making towards the bedroom. "I'll just, ah, grab some pants."

He fled the room and ran to the bedroom. He sunk to the floor with his head in his hands. This was going to be the most awkward meal of his life. What the hell was even going on? Pulling himself to his feet, he scrambled around for his clothes from last night and quickly got dressed.

It wasn't exactly the most appropriate clothing to meet the parents in; skin tight jeans that showed off his ass and a fairly tight button down casual shirt. To be fair, his intentions had been to show off to a certain beast, not to be meeting someone's dignified parents. The woman carried herself with an air of regal authority and command, and he could understand where some of Asami's aura came from. That was a woman that he did not want to mess with.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, Akihito made his way back into the kitchen to pour some coffee and tea. Asami's parents had sat down at the table and were drilling their son about what was going on his life. It was funny seeing the put together man being reduced to nothing more than a petulant teenager at the mercy of meddling parents. He was clearly not happy about their interruption of his morning.

At least Akihito was confident with his ability to throw together decent food at a moment's notice. He had done so enough times with friends crashing his apartment unexpectedly. It also kept him out of the firing line of the unending questions. He did learn a lot about Asami while he listened in, though.

Setting the last of the food on the table, Akihito slipped into the chair beside Asami, across from his parents. He mumbled his thanks for the food and set to digging in, hoping to avoid the conversation by being quiet and eating quickly so he could get the hell out of there.

"So, Takaba-kun, what do you do?" Asami Hanako asked.

Well fuck. Of course, it could never be that easy, could it?

"I'm a photographer," he replied as he slid more food onto his plate. Hopefully if he answered the question then stuffed his face, they would go back to talking to their son. "I work part time for fashion companies or magazines and part time as a criminal photographer and investigative journalist."

"How interesting!" the woman exclaimed.

"You must have worked on some interesting news stories doing that here in Tokyo," Asami Masahiro interjected, focusing even more intently on Akihito.

 _Shitshitshitshitshit._

This was the exact opposite of what he wanted to happen.

They spent the next half hour eating and talking. Akihito fielded all sorts of questions from stories from his work, to his hobbies and interests, to how he met Asami. He tried to be as polite as possible but might have gotten a little impassioned when talking about his journalistic work. He was just clearing the table, refusing the offered help, and thought he might finally be able to make his escape.

"You should marry this one, Ryuichi," Hanako said idly as she sipped her tea. "He's a keeper."

Akihito and Asami both choked at the same time.

"He's such a cute, respectful boy and obviously very passionate and talented. Unlike that actress, what was her name? Ah, it doesn't matter." She waved her hand in dismissal. "Awful woman. Akihito-kun would make an excellent son-in-law and a wonderful father. You could adopt those gorgeous little grandbabies that you have been denying me all these years, Ryuichi."

Akihito stared at the woman in utter shock as she carried on, spouting his good points and scolding Asami for not putting a ring on it like right now.

Well, fuck.

He suspected his life was about to get a whole lot more interesting.

 **A/N:AKA Asami's mother has given up on her son finding a nice person to settle down with until she meets Akihito and she's not about to let her son fuck it up.**


	22. The Logical Next Step

Akihito sat contemplating the two rings sitting laid out on the table in front of him. He had finally been able to pick them up from the jewellers today and they shone beautifully in the artificial light. Ryu wasn't due home for hours so he was taking the time to consider his options and gather his courage.

How many years had they been together now?

Seven? Eight?

Over time their relationship had grown and changed with them. They were open about their feelings now as well as their needs and wants. Neither of them were prone to sprouting long gushing words of romance but they had confessed their feelings verbally to each other more than once. Their actions counted for more than words, anyways.

Although it had taken Akihito a long time to realise that.

Ryu seemed perfectly content with how they were and honestly Akihito was too.

Except…

Gay marriage had finally been legalised late last year after a long, hard fought battle. Their relationship could finally be legally recognised. It's not like Akihito really needed the government's recognition, or even that of strangers or the world at large. But they had been through so much together, they held such strong feelings. Was this not the logical next step?

He waited cautiously after the news of marriage legalisation to see if Ryu might be thinking the same thing he was but the man made no move to propose. It eventually hit him that he didn't have to wait for the other man to make that choice.

He was perfectly allowed to propose too.

Ryu frequently steered the course of their relationship, such as it was, in the beginning but Akihito had long since become an equal partner. He was always encouraged to stand up and speak his mind, ask for what he wanted and Ryu met him at every turn.

He wasn't looking for a fairy tale wedding or the dream of a spouse and children. It was more like he wanted a physical reminder of his lover and their bond wherever he went. A physical mark on Ryu to stay the vultures away was an added bonus, although he didn't think it would deter them all.

So, with great nervousness he first sought out the advice of the internet about men's wedding rings. He spent hours nervously reading forums and advice columns trying to piece together a general consensus before beginning to look at prices.

Of course, the ones he picked out were expensive.

They had to be to fit both of their tastes.

He had been saving secretly for these for months. Sure, he could have paid for it with his limitless credit card from Ryu but for this, he was going to get it by himself. Akihito had gone so far as taking on extra jobs just for the pay and waived it off to his lover under the guise of greater demand for his services. It was nice to bask in his career progress once in a while, it was easy now days to forget how far he had come.

Now here he was, two sparkling white gold bands sparkling in front of him fully paid for by his own hard work.

He liked the traditional gold bands that his parents had but quite frankly, they were anything but traditional in their relationship and the white gold suited them both far better.

They were simple but elegant in their design. The very center was a matt finish with two thin bands cut into the ring lining it and polished white gold edges. Akihito had borrowed one of Ryu's dress rings to get the right size. He had so many rings for different fingers that he had to watch which ones he wore to figure out which ring as the best one to borrow.

While his own remained plain, he had gotten the inside of Ryu's ring engraved. A little nod back to their beginnings. He could only hope his lover appreciated the little jab.

Akihito was so lost in thought that he didn't hear the sound of the penthouse door opening. Ryu walked into the room followed by Kirishima carrying a sheaf of papers and all he could do was stare in surprise. Ryu wasn't due home for hours! It wasn't even remotely close to the evening, it was still early afternoon.

His lover stopped and looked at him curiously before glancing down at the two rings sitting in all their glory in front of him. He stopped dead in his tracks and his eyes widened in obvious surprise. A small part of Akihito crowed in triumph over being able to elicit a visible reaction from the always put together man.

Kirishima trailed off from whatever he was saying and looked between them in confusion before his eyes landed on the rings. He gaped in surprise before awkwardly putting his papers on the table and making a hasty, albeit polite, retreat.

Akihito sat, face slowly reddening in embarrassment, staring at Ryu. All thoughts of grand proposals or thoughtful gestures of love gone out the window. His lover slowly approached and picked up the larger of the rings and examined it, a slow smirk spreading across his lips as he read the inscription on the inside.

 _Forever yours, bastard._

His gaze flickered up from the ring to meet his own and Akihito almost sagged in relief at the warmth and amusement flooding his golden eyes.

"Do you have something to ask me?" Ryu asked, his deep voice showing the same emotions his eyes held.

Akihito held his gaze for an endless second, blood rushing in his ears and his heart thudding loudly in his chest.

"Marry me," he replied, not a question but a statement that held a level of confidence that surprised even himself.

"Even after all these years, you manage to surprise me." Ryu chuckled as he passed back the ring before holding out his left hand. "I told you I'd never let you go, I'll track you down even to the ends of the abyss if I must. Surely you knew the answer already?"

Akihito rolled his eyes fondly at the familiar possessive words. "Bastard," he muttered cheekily before carefully slipping the ring onto Ryu's finger with trembling hands.

Ryu returned the gesture with all the smooth grace that he had come to expect from the man before letting himself be pulled in for a passionate kiss. They were both breathless when they finally parted.

"Don't think this means that you will be getting out of a formal ceremony, I'm looking forward to showing off my cute wife."

Akihito half-heartedly punch him in the shoulder. "I'm not your wife, _husband."_

"Husband, hmm? It has a nice ring to it," Ryu drawled in reply before his eyed darkened and his smirk widened. "How about we start our honeymoon early and spend the night celebrating?"

Far too quickly for his age, Ryu grabbed Akihito and flung him over his shoulder. He slapped his ass to get him to stop squirming as he made his way to their bedroom.

Akihito sighed dramatically before breaking into relieved giggles. Some things never changed but he loved the big old bastard and he was happy to yell it out to the world.

 **VF**

When Akihito finally woke the next afternoon, sore and worn out, he discovered the bed empty and his ring missing. Alarmed, he scrambled up only to discover it sitting in its box beside the bed. Picking it up, he noticed letters on the inside that had not been there the day before.

 _Forever yours, brat._


	23. Viability

"Thank you so much for waiting, Asami-san, Tabaka-san. Please follow me."

The soft gentle smile of Dr Suzuki did little to ease Akihito's nerves. He wasn't entirely sure why these results had him so on edge, they had talked everything over again and again. No matter what the outcome was, they had a plan.

But they were talking about their future.

And the future of another life.

This was top tier experimental science using stem cells and lab create organics from their DNA. It was a price tag to Ryuichi with too many zeros and a pamphlet of possible side effects ranging from body changes and mood swings to depression and miscarriage.

They could have a child together.

Their child.

A combination of all the things that made them _them_ in the form of another life.

It was a business partner of Ryuichi's that had brought the new procedure to their attention. By now everyone knew of his long-term relationship with Akihito and his lack of caring about everyone's knowledge was almost a way of showing off.

It had gotten Akihito into the odd spot of trouble initially but now life had settled down to the point that they could use the terms significant other and life partner without batting an eye.

Now they were thinking of extending their little family.

A plus one.

Ryuichi admitted that he had never considered having children. He didn't particularly like them, didn't know how to interact with them and plus they were a potential liability. Akihito had dismissed the idea out of hand on that thought alone, no way would Ryu ever agree.

Until he asked one day if Akihito wanted one.

Stunned, he had stared at his lover wordlessly. It had been weeks since the procedure had been brought to their attention.

" _You would make a good father and with your help, perhaps I might be able to manage as well. If a family is something you'd like then I'd be willing to try. Only for you." He paused for a moment then said in a final tone, "Only with you."_

Akihito had argued for adoption, less risk and they would be taking a child who didn't have a home already and giving them a home. Ryuichi had wanted one that was theirs. In the end, they had agreed to look into both options to get more information and make their decision then.

They had discovered the process was long and arduous. With all the things that could go wrong, the company that was offering the pregnancy procedure would only accept candidates that had a certain level of viability. Akihito and Ryuichi had already been in to fill out all the paperwork and complete all the tests. All they were waiting on were the results of the tests.

Ryuichi had a comforting arm wrapped around his waist as they followed the doctor into her large office.

Akihito honestly wasn't sure if he wanted to have a baby or not. Never in a million years did he think he would be able to carry one, even with all the risks involved. Hormones and side effects and a c-section. But the idea of having a family with Ryuichi was becoming more and more something that he realised he wanted. But adoption was certain the option that he thought of.

They sat down across from the doctor at a large desk and a large hand snuck into his own. Akihito glanced to the side but his lover had the same calm expression on as normal, even as he quietly offered him comfort. Was his nervousness really that apparent? The small squeeze of his hand said that it was.

This was a big thing though.

If Akihito was viable they had already decided they would go ahead with the pregnancy. If not then they would start going through the adoption process.

"Now I know that you are both keen for the results so I won't bore you with all the things that we've already discussed. I have good news and bad news," she started off with a gentle smile. "Unfortunately, Takaba-san is only 30% viable to have a successful pregnancy with the program how it currently is and we will only accept candidates with a 70% viability or higher. However, Asami-san is 92% viable. It's one of the highest scores we have seen so far, it would be higher but for the smoking."

She softened her words with a small smile but that didn't stop Akihito's word from spinning at the words she said.

"I know that's not what you were hoping for or planning so I'll give you some time to decide. I have some more information packs to give you both and then if you choose to go through with the procedure with Asami-san as the bearer instead, then you just have to make a new appointment."

Akihito turned to stare at his lover who had gone very still and was currently regarding the doctor with a very familiar completely blank expression.

 **Continue yes/no ?**


	24. Extra Scene to Shattered

**AN:** **This is an additional scene from Shattered that I wrote to include in the version that is being made into an original. Shattered will stay here on this website as well, I just want more people to get the chance to read it because it has a message that I deeply want to share with more people. Especially after so many people reached out to me after I finished it.**

 **I never talked about my own story. But today marks a small anniversary of my own healing.**

 **Today marks the day that I realised that my ex of 6 years was emotionally abusive. That just because he didn't hit me didn't mean that there wasn't abuse there. That just because he didn't always control my eating, purchases, what I did, how I looked didn't excuse the 95% of the time he did. That it is okay to be upset with the fact that he stole my money and left me with $20k debt and it's not all my fault for his manipulation of me.**

 **It marks my rebelling and getting out of the situation. It marks the painful day that I realised I loved him but he was just using me.**

 **It marks my breakdown and finally admitting I was not okay. It marks reaching out for help.**

 **It marks me finally realising and accepting my new BF can love me for who I am even if I'm not perfect. That someone can want to support me to get better for no benefit of their own. That I deserve to be happy and have a good relationship.**

 **For everyone who is not okay: It's okay to not be okay and ask for help. It's okay to need to lean on someone else when you need to. It's okay to put yourself first. It's okay if your brain chemical balance is store brought.**

 **For everyone who has not been okay but is doing better now: I admire your strength to keep going because I damn well now how hard it is. Please remember just how amazing you are.**

Asami stood leaning against his bedroom door with a frown on his face and something held in his hand. Akihito sat up from where he was lying on his bed listening to music and looked at his soulmate in question. The man seemed to be searching for the right words to use before sighing and beckoning him over. Cautiously, he switched off the music and moved to stand in front of Asami.

A large hand reached out and gently caressed his cheek before moving down to run over his chin. Asami sighed again and held up the small package in his hand.

Razors.

Akihito's eyes widened. He brought his own hand up to feel the thin fuzzy smattering across his face. It was pretty much just fluff but he was going back to school in less than a week. Most schools here had strict rules about the tidiness of student's appearances.

This was the first time he had seen a razor since the day he tried to kill himself.

He suddenly understood Asami's apprehension and inability to find the right words. Although perhaps just showing them to him out of the blue wasn't the best idea, but he couldn't fault him for not knowing how to handle this.

Surprisingly he felt nothing but a faint sense of dread when he looked at the razors. His hands remained steady as he reached out to take the package from his soulmate. Asami tensed but handed them over anyway.

"I don't want to force you to do anything you aren't comfortable with yet but I thought I should bring it up earlier rather than later."

"It's fine. I don't feel bad or anything looking at them. I can do this, you don't have to freak out."

Asami sighed and ran a hand through his hair, he looked oddly unsettled. "I don't want to crowd you but this first time, let me be with you, just in case."

It was Akihito's turn to frown. "I'm not a kid, I don't need you hovering over my shoulder over every little thing."

"Just this once," Asami repeated. He reached out to caress his cheek again then leaned forward to press their foreheads together. Being so close to his soulmate, being confronted with the sheer intensity in his golden eyes was overwhelming. Asami was worried and he had every right to be. But it made him nervous, even more than the razors did.

"Fine," he whispered back, unable to speak any louder with the man so close. "But we do this right now."

Asami nodded as he moved away, placing a soft kiss to his forehead then leading the way to the bathroom. Akihito clutched the package to his chest nervously as they moved through the apartment.

"You're making me more nervous than the razors are," Akihito muttered as he was led to the sink where the rest of the items he needed for shaving were laid out.

"Don't be, I won't get in your way." Asami gave a strained chuckle as though he was trying to lighten the mood and Akihito had to wonder at the odd behaviour. So far, his soulmate had been the height of smooth words and actions. Nothing seemed to ruffle the man and he always had the perfect words of comfort for him. Yet now his anxiety was leaking through the cracks in his façade.

He supposed it was just proof that his soulmate was as human as the rest of them, regardless of the persona he had normally. Surprisingly, it was that knowledge that helped to calm Akihito's nerves. Asami can be worried enough for both of them.

As he ran through the mechanical movements for shaving, he let himself switch over to autopilot. It had been a long time since he had shaven but his body still remembered the movements. He had stopped shaving after he had taken apart the spare razors in their old family bathroom to get access to the blades.

He remembered cutting his fingers trying to get the sharp metal free and how freeing the pain had been. It had been a physical pain to match the one burning inside of him. He felt no pain now, no anguish. Just an odd numb feeling.

Opening the packet, Akihito took out one of the two razors and held it up for inspection. Nothing. He felt nothing but that same sense of faint dread. It was the same feeling he got when he thought about his parents or the new school term. It was like he knew he should be feeling something bad but couldn't summon up the will to feel anything more.

He was aware of his soulmates looming presence somewhere behind him but he remained out of sight and out of view of the mirror above the sink. It was a relief, this would be a lot harder if Asami wasn't giving him his space. Being close to his soulmate made him feel things and he didn't want to lose this curious sense of numbness.

Not just yet.

After lathering up his face, Akihito set to carefully running the blade across his skin. The press of the blade against him had no more effect than using a knife when cooking had. He was aware it was dangerous and he knew to be careful.

That was until he nicked his chin with the sharp blade. Dark red welled up from the cut and the sharp sting threw his mind back into his memories. His eyes fixated on the blood in the mirror and he could see nothing else. It was like the room narrowed down until there was nothing else and he could hear an odd ringing in his ears.

He became aware of the razor being pulled from his trembling hand and his face being tilted to the side. He blinking, trying to clear his vision and Asami's serious face was suddenly right in front of him. Akihito remained pliant as he pressed something against his chin before pulling him against his hard chest.

They stayed like that for a long time, until Akihito stopped shaking. He was oddly dry-eyed and almost unfeeling beyond awareness of the stinging of the cut. Usually he would cry but instead, he felt almost disconnected from his own body.

"Let me finish the rest," Asami said gently, ignoring the shaving cream on his shirt as he pulled away to look down at him.

"Okay," Akihito whispered in return.

He still felt disconnected as his soulmate carefully lathered up his face again and picked up the discarded razor. The feeling of the blade running gently over his skin felt like it was happening to someone else. Even once they were done and Asami was putting everything away, he felt distant. He trailed after the man and settled on the couch at his urging to watch a movie with him.

As odd as it was, Akihito found he didn't mind. It was better than feeling too much, at least.

 **VFVFVFVFVFVF**

Akihito's reaction to blood had been unsettling. Asami had thought that the razor blades might trigger him but was surprised by his calm reception to the idea. He had thought long and hard about how to introduce him to the idea and in the end, couldn't settle on a method. Instead, he decided to tackle it head on and came home from work early just in case.

It appeared that it wasn't the blade itself but the blood that was a trigger. What Asami had learnt so far was that Akihito would react obviously when upset; vomiting, crying, moodiness, withdrawal.

Yet this time, he had been trembling but he seemed oddly distant. It scared Asami more than he was willing to admit. It was not the usual withdrawal that he had seen over the last few weeks but something deeper.

The young man had curled up on the couch next to him with no resistance, no comments, and no expression at all. It was like he was removed from his own body.

Was this a different form of a panic attack? He had been expecting something of the sort. Reaching out to ruffle a hand through Akihito's hair, he resolved to ask Tamura-sensei about it later. His soulmate didn't react to his gesture, didn't rail against him for treating him like a kid like he normally did. He only sighed and leaned into the touch.

As much as he wanted Akihito to be comfortable with him, this was odd behaviour for him right now. He wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. It felt like there was a wall up around Akihito while he was this disconnected and nothing he could say would breach it. Instead, Asami resolved to stay physically close and offer what comfort and support he could that way.

Slowly as time went on he seemed to come back into himself. Akihito still let himself be pulled up against his side in a casual embrace while they watched TV but his movements became more animated. His eyes lit up and he started to talk more, commenting on the movie and laughing at the jokes.

The endearing shyness about their proximity was the last thing to return. The cute flush adorned his cheeks as he tried to squirm away but Asami wouldn't let him. He had been soaking up the physical affection all afternoon while he seemed out of it, it wouldn't hurt to get a little extra in.

That and he enjoyed the more natural feel to their evening now that Akihito was talking and moving again. Asami was not above teasing his little soulmate if it meant he got to pull a reaction out of him.

Anything was better than his distance earlier.


	25. Pokemon AU

Akihito hummed to himself as he carefully checked over the zubat's wing. It looked like it was healing well and the pokemon was quiet and trusting under his administrations. It made him proud that he had won over the frightened zubat's trust and hopefully it wouldn't be long before he could be released again.

He gently scratched the zubat's head as he folded the wing back down before moving on to check the baby bellsprout that had been brought in yesterday. His eevee, Fuku, dutifully followed along at his heels, keeping an eye out in the small nursing area to alert him if any of the other injured pokemon needed anything. Fuku, meaning lucky, was Akihitio's first Pokemon and they had been together since he was seven. He had found the poor eevee virtually drowning in an overflowed storm drain during a massive downpour. He had been running late to get home from a friend's house and had been caught in the storm but he was glad he was, because he had been able to rescue Fuku. They had both been very sick afterward but together they had healed up and had never been separated since.

That was the event that had sparked off his career as a Pokemon doctor and rehabilitator. Growing up there was always a handful of Pokemon in their house under his care. Pidgey's with broken wings, caterpie's that had washed up in storms, and once even a lost teddiursa.

He adored Pokemon big and small and was wholeheartedly dedicated to taking care of the sick and injured Pokemon that were brought into his care. He worked in a section of Professor Kirishima's lab on the edge of a huge Pokemon preserve. It was a protected area and not too far from the city. They had multiple rangers who patrolled the area to keep away poachers and complete rescues of injured or endangered Pokemon in the city.

Being at the edge of a preserve that backed onto even more forest meant that most of their Pokemon where easily able to be released back into the wild fairly close by. There was even a huge lake less than thirty minutes' walk away too, perfect for their water type Pokemon. The professor had chosen the perfect spot to establish his research lab.

Fuku's ears jumped up and he dashed forward to the open door just as Akihito was tucking the bellsprout carefully back into the loamy dirt that made up its bed.

"Fuku?" he called after his companion only to be stopped dead by a sharp cry.

Akihito dashed outside to spot a familiar skarmory standing one legged on the grass outside the lab. Clutched in its other foot was a small basket and Akihito dashed forward.

"Oki!" he called out as he reached the steel bird. "What's happened?"

The skarmory finally let go of its precious cargo and let out an outraged shriek that had Akihito even more worried. Oki was Asami's skarmory and the ranger had been going to follow up on a claim of possible Pokemon abuse. The man must have sent Oki ahead but that could only mean he had found something dire.

The young Pokemon doctor set to unbuckling the carry basket while his eevee tried to calm down the steel bird. When he was finally able to open the lid, he cried out in dismayed shock. Four skittys huddled together, shaking in fear. They were so obviously underweight and malnourished it broke his heart. Their fur was matted and their eyes dull. They were nothing like the playful, mischievous little things they were supposed to be.

"Fuku, go get Tao," Akihito called as he dashed back inside to set up a cleaning and quarantine area. Who knows what kind of infections the poor things had caught? He couldn't risk them spreading anything to his other sick patients and if their fur was too bad, they might even need to shave it all off.

Fuku run full tilt further into the lab while Oki stayed guarding over his charges. He only backed down when Akihito returned to grab two of the skitty's in his arms.

"Hey, it's okay. Shhh, I've got you. You're safe now," he murmured gently to the trembling Pokemon. The other doctor in training working at the lab, Tao, came running up just as Asami himself came leaping over the fence on the back of his huge arcanine. The poor Pokemon had obviously run full speed non-stop from the city to get there so quickly and he was panting, taking huge breaths of air when he skidded to a stop.

The ranger on his back leapt down and Akihito gasped when he saw another three skittys in his arms. They looked even worse for wear than the ones in his own arms.

"It was a breading mill," Asami explained grimly as he strode forward. "There were some that we were too late to save as well."

Akihito felt his heart break in two again before he firmed his resolve. No time for break downs now, he had to save the ones he could.

"I've set up a cleaning and quarantine area, follow me." Akihito led Asami and Tao to the aforementioned area and together they quietly set to work cleaning up the mistreated Pokemon. Once they were clean, fed, and checked over, Akihito transferred all seven of them to a small cardboard box filled with blankets to make a dark, comforting nest.

Asami stepped forward, pulling out a pokeball and Akihito cocked his head quizzically. A familiar light appeared to materialise a magnificent delcatty. It was clearly well looked after judging by the beautifully shining coat of fur and it didn't wait for any instructions from Asami. Instead, it took one look at the woeful skittys and ran forward to comfort the little ones.

"Saki will take care of them," Asami said quietly as they watched the skittys immediately calming and moving forward to cuddle the older pokemon.

"They are supposed to be in quarantine," Akihito gently chided but his heart wasn't in it. Their anguished little cries of fear had stopped and there was no way he would take such a comforting presence away from them.

"You've cleared them of all the usual contagious viruses," Asami replied as he moved to help Akihito tidy up while Tao left to double check on the other pokemon in their care.

"Yes, but that's not the point. It's a safety precaution."

Neither of them spoke after that and Akihito took the opportunity to give the man a once over. He was new to the area, only having been there a few weeks and rumours were flying around. Lab staff whispered that he had been in the Pokemon league, possibly one of the elite four before he retired. The only thing Akihito knew for certain was that he was from the capital and an old friend of Professor Kirishima's. He also cared a great deal for his Pokemon and Pokemon in general and really, that was all he needed to know to know that he was at least a decent human being.

The only real problem Akihito had with him was that he was a distraction. Now that the immediate crisis was over, he could see that the water from skittys baths had soaked the man's t-shirt so that it clung to washboard abs and even allowed his back definition to be seen. It was hard to focus on cleaning when such a distraction was in front of him.

Fuku whined gently as he headbutted his leg and Akihito flopped down in the middle of the room to pick the eevee up and hug him.

"I know," he whispered as he held his companion tight. "It makes me sad to see them treated like that too. And so angry, ugh! How could you ever do that to a Pokemon?!"

The frustration and anger that had been forced aside earlier bubbled to the surface and not even Asami's drool worth figure could distract him from his outrage.

"We got the bastard who was responsible," Asami said quietly and Akihito looked up in time to see the hand coming to ruffle his hair. It was oddly affectionate as fingers tangled briefly in his hair. "You just focus on these little ones, it's all we can do now. I need to check on my other two outside, I'll leave Saki in your care."

Akihito nodded then watched the older man leave, eye's roaming inappropriately far down. Ah, it wasn't fair for Asami to wear pants so tight. He flushed red and buried his face in Fuku's fluff with a groan. He was supposed to have his thoughts on his new charges, not the apparent firmness of the other man's ass.

"What am I going to do about him?" he whispered to his long-time friend. The eevee just licked an affectionate stripe up his cheek in response.


	26. Pokemon AU 2

"How goes our rescues?"

Akihito turned from organising some medicines to see Asami moving through the door with his umbreon at his heels. He smiled at the ranger as he crouched down a little way away from the box the skitty's had called their home over the last few days. His delcatty chirped at him, clearly pleased to see her owner and her look was almost like that of a proud momma.

"They are mostly doing better," Akihito replied. "Saki has been a huge help. She keeps them calm around other Pokemon and during their check-ups."

Asami smiled softly at his Pokemon and she came forward eagerly to accept the attention he lavished on her.

"You've done so well," he praised while he continued to rub her ears. The skittys picked up on their idols ease around the man and immediately began to cautiously approach. They skittered back when he moved to sit fully on the floor but quickly moved up after Saki climbed onto Asami's lap. "You said mostly?"

Akihito sighed and rubbed his eyes. "The littlest hasn't been doing so well. She was one of the ones with fur so matted we had to shave it all off and she's been requiring round the clock care. Her growth has most likely been stunted by malnutrition and her healing has been much slower than the rest. For the most part good, nutritious food, medicine to help any ills, and lots of proper, comfortable rest has done wonders for the lot of them." He yawned as he approached to peer inside the box at the small shivering ball that was the smallest skitty. Two nights of not much sleep was starting to catch up with him but he wasn't about to complain, he would do far more for these Pokemon.

"You look like you could use a good rest yourself," Asami observed and Akihito flushed slightly under the intense stare that was levelled at him.

"I've dealt with worse," he said, dismissing his need for sleep out of hand before promptly yawning again.

"If we get someone to look after this little one," Asami replied, gesturing at the tiny skitty who was watching them wearily. "Can you be spared for a few hours?"

"Yoh helped me release my two other charges this morning so other than the skittys, I've just got check-ups left."

Asami nodded and carefully removed Saki from his lap. "Would you like to stay here or come with me?"

The dalcatty chirped again and moved back to the box, clearly giving her answer. The ranger stood, careful of the curious Pokemon underfoot.

"Wait here, I'll be back soon."

Asami didn't give Akihito a choice as he strode from the room with his umbreon trotted behind. He looked down at his eevee with a bewildered expression. What was he planning? His companion rubbed against his leg in comfort before walking forward to play with his new friends. The skittys had quickly taken a shine to Fuku and it was nice seeing them playing happily even after all they had been through.

The intimidating man returned not long after with Suoh, another ranger in tow. He was certain the man wasn't supposed to be walking around and his limp confirmed his memory about his ankle sprain.

"Should you be walking around?" Akihitio asked in place of a greeting and maybe that was a little rude but he couldn't help but be concerned. He knew how important adequate rest was. Suoh grimaced at his words.

"I don't need any more mothering," he replied and instead crouched down in front of the skitty box. "Is this her? The one who needs the extra care?"

Akihito nodded then realised that the ranger wasn't looking. "Yeah, she needs round the clock care at the moment to keep her fully stable but she is doing better."

"I'll take her for a few days," Suoh said looking up at Akihito. "I'm not able to go out on patrol until my ankles healed up so I have some free time. Just let me know what I need to do."

"Having some one on one care might actually do her some good," Akihito mused as he grabbed a piece of paper and a pen to start writing down some instructions.

Once Suoh was loaded up with medication, food instructions, and the small skitty, Akihito found himself being ushered outside by Asami. The man had Saki and his umbreon, Rei, bring all their rescues along too. The man wouldn't tell him what he was planning until they were out in the grassy area a short distance from the lab. There waiting was Asami's huge arcanine with some of their mareep flock grazing nearby.

"Lie down, take a nap," Asami said as he approached his arcanine and Akihito noticed the large brush sitting in the grass at the pokemon's feet. "I need to brush out the tangles in Ren's fur so I can keep an eye on the little ones with Rei, Saki, and Fuku's help."

It was a beautiful day out; a slight breeze to take some of the heat off with clear blue skies as far as he could see. Fuku head butted his leg, clearly to get him to move and he gave in. He was tired and the fresh air would be good for himself and their rescues. He sat down as one of the mareep wandered over and bleated a happy greeting. Their flock of mareep were very friendly and loved approaching the lab workers for attention. Akihito settled himself in the grass with his back against the wool of the mareep once it plonked down behind him.

It wasn't long before his eyes wouldn't stay open and he drifted off to sleep in the soft warmth of the afternoon sun

 **VF**

Asami couldn't hold back his soft chuckle at the sight of the cute young doctor sound asleep in the grass surrounded by Pokemon. More mareep had ambled over to join in on a communal nap and Fuku had quickly nodded off at his side. Three of the skitty's had draped themselves over the doctor and where using him as a sunning/napping platform while the others ran around under the watchful eyes of both Rei and Saki.

It was a little bit adorable and perfectly fit the image Asami had already formed of the endearing young Pokemon doctor. Quite frankly, it made him want to join in the nap pile himself, not that he would ever admit to that of course.

He decided that he needed to get to know the cute young man some more.


	27. Pokemon AU 3

Akihito chewed his lip worriedly as he stared out into the dark night. Thunder rumbled overhead punctuated by near constant flashes of lightening. It was one of the worst storms he had ever seen. Even during the day, it wouldn't be safe to venture out into the maelstrom of wind and rain, at night the visibility had to be nearly zero.

"He'll be fine, kid."

The young doctor looked up to see Suoh leaning against the doorway his newly adopted skitty curled up his arms. The man was a behemoth with an uninterested demeanour that most people found intimidating but he was the biggest softy when it came to Pokemon and Akihito secretly thought it was adorable. He had bonded with his little charge almost immediately and had gruffly informed Akihito earlier that day that he would be keeping little Sakura, as he had named the skitty, for himself.

"He's got a strong team of Pokemon and a strong bond with them, no amount of bad weather will stop him," Suoh continued on. "Don't worry so much."

As reassuring as Akihito found the sentiment, he couldn't help but be worried that Asami was still out in the storm. He was late coming back too and while that's understandable in this weather, it did nothing to ease his mind. His eevee worriedly headbutted his chest and Akihito cuddled his companion closer seeking what comfort he could offer. They were sitting together in a big window in sight of the barn where Asami would most likely enter the lab complex. It's the perfect place to drop off large Pokemon that need to be out of the weather but still out of their pokeball.

"I can't help but worry," Akihito replied with a small sigh. "Fei got back over an hour ago and he said the conditions were dangerous. It will have only gotten worse." He huffed up at the huge ranger when the man chuckled and ruffled his hair. "Anyway, you are still here waiting."

"I promised Kei I'd stay up until everyone got back safely." Suoh pulled up a chair and settled in next to Akihito. "I've known Ryuichi as long as Kei has, this storm is not enough to stop that team."

They sat in silence while Akihito thought over his words. His eevee cuddled up to him after a particularly loud thunder clap and he frowned as he hugged the Pokemon tighter. His worry was mounting higher and higher.

"Are the rumours about him being one of the elite four true?" he asked finally, breaking their silence. Suoh looked him over for a moment and Akihito could feel his gaze assessing him. The man wasn't known for talking much, to people at least, so maybe he should have kept his mouth shut.

"You should be asking him that." There was the slightest hint of rebuke in his tone but it softened as he continued. "Before he retired he was the undefeated champion of this region for five years." Akihito's head whipped around to stare at Suoh in shock. That was a seriously prestigious achievement. "But what do you do when you've achieved everything you've dreamed of?"

Akihito was silent for a moment before replying quietly, "Find a new dream?"

Suoh chuckled. "Something like that. But they are strong, that's why I said don't worry."

The doctor nodded but they both knew that he wasn't about to stop worrying anytime soon. They lapsed back into silence and Akihito released that was the longest conversation he had ever held with Suoh that wasn't about Pokemon.

Finally, after an agonising wait, a shadowed figure moved out from the darkness of the storm.

"Asami!" Akihito leapt to his feet, knocking his eevee to the ground with a startled cry. "Sorry Fuku!" He apologised even as he darted to the door. He must have been forgiven because the Pokemon was right at his heels a moment later.

They burst into the barn just as Asami and his arcanine did. The howling wind swirled through the room disturbing the other Pokemon housed there until the door slammed shut. The ranger and his huge Pokemon were drenched and covered in mud. He had never seen such a majestic pair look so bedraggled before.

"Asami! Are you okay?!" Akihito dashed forward checking for injuries but it was hard to make out anything under the muck.

"We are okay," was the hoarse reply as the man held out a small bundle.

The young man took it without thinking then cried out as he pulled back what must have been Asami's jersey and found a shivering cyndaquil inside. The poor Pokemon sniffled, obviously sick after having been caught in the storm.

"We don't get many fire Pokemon in these parts," Suoh commented. "Must have gotten separated from its family unit."

"We found it trapped under a fallen tree where water was starting to build up. It took a lot longer than I'd hoped to get it free then find our way back home."

"You go get cleaned up and get some rest, I'll take care of Ren," Suoh said gruffly as he reached up to affectionately rub the arcanine's sodden ears. "Let's get you a bath, eh?"

Asami didn't even try to question his long-time friend, instead he began to move slowly towards the building proper.

"Oh!" Akihito hurried to walk beside Asami as he looked him over in concern. "If you give me a second to get a few things, you can use my shower and stay with me? Everyone's staying here tonight as it's not safe to leave in this weather so all the guest beds are taken but I have some room?"

Asami nodded tiredly and gave his agreement. Quickly, mindful of the rangers exhausted and dirty state, Akihito gathered some supplies for his sick fire Pokemon and left a note for Tao in the morning. All set, he let his eevee lead the way up to the third floor where his small room was. The room was part of his position as the Pokemon doctor and rehabilitator and he found it much easier to have less travel to work. It also meant that he could bring some of his smaller charges with him to stay in his room if they needed to be checked on during the night.

"Here we are!" Akihito announced as he pushed open the door and flicked on the lights. "Let me get you a towel."

After showing Asami how to use the shower and assuring him to help himself to anything in the shower, he set about cleaning up the cyndaquil. The Pokemon most likely just had a cold from what he could tell so rest and warmth were the best things for him. Thankfully he always had a spare fireproof blanket handy just for situations like this. He tucked the Pokemon up in his spare Pokemon bed before turning to his own bed with a frown.

"All right you lot, come on. I'm lending my bed to Asami tonight and he doesn't need you all hogging the blankets!"

Akihito's words were met by six completely indifferent skittys making his bed their home once again and his eevee curled up in his favourite spot at the end of the bed looking mulish. Grumbling under his breath, he began to pull some extra blankets down for him to sleep on the floor when Asami emerged from the shower.

The ranger only had a towel around his waist and a smaller one in hand that he was using to towel off his hair. Akihito opened his mouth to see how the man was feeling but was stopped in his tracks by the sight of glistening muscles. It was far too late in the evening for his brain to process the sight and still remain functional. Especially since it hadn't occurred to him that Asami wouldn't have any clean clothing.

Blushing to the roots of his hair, Akihito scrabbled around while trying not to trip himself up on the extra bedding.

"Uhm, so! I'm just going to move this lot," he shot a stern look at the Pokemon invading his bed but received the same response as last time, "then you can have my bed? I can take the floor."

"Nonsense," Asami said and was that a hint of amusement he caught in his voice? "I'm not going to put you out. There's plenty of room for us to share."

Akihito turned to gape at the man as he brought up his hand to display a pokeball. "But-!"

"Do you mind if Rei stays out?" the ranger interrupted. "She doesn't like being away for too long."

"Oh, that's fine. Fuku's like that too."

Asami nodded as he let out his umbreon companion from her pokeball. Akihito watched as she looked about the room in apparent surprise before hopping up beside Fuku. The eevee shuffled out of his spot willingly for the first time that Akihito had ever seen and allowed the umbreon to settle with him.

"I think we should take our cue from our Pokemon, don't you think?"

Asami moved to place the wet towels back in the bathroom before walking out completely at ease in all his naked glory. Akihito's words failed him once again and he stood flailing slightly as a naked Asami climbed into his bed.

"You aren't sleeping like that, are you?" he questioned and Akihito woodenly went to his draws to pull out his pyjamas.

As he slipped into the bathroom to get changed, he could hear Asami conversing with the skittys and their answering grumbling yowls as he disturbed them to make room in the bed. He caught a glimpse of his reflection in the mirror and wondered if his face had ever been so red.

Holy shit, the man was hot as hell.

And he was in his bed.

He was also utterly shameless.

After realising that he couldn't stay in the bathroom all night, he shuffled back into his bedroom and flicked off the lights. A small space had been made for him next to Asami and he crawled in. He jumped when Asami spoke into the darkness.

"The cyndaquil will be okay?"

"Yeah, I think it's just a cold but I left a note for Tao to double check him in the morning if I don't wake up in time."

Asami hummed in response and after that they lapsed into silence. It didn't take long for Asami's breathing to even out and Akihito found that his nerves couldn't over take his exhaustion. Sleep took him soon after.

 **VF**

Tao knocked softly on Akihito's door before carefully letting himself in. The young Pokemon doctors had an agreement that they were allowed in each other's rooms whenever and Akihito had left him a note to check on his sick cyndaquil Asami had brought back in the night. Seeing as Akihito had been up so late, he didn't want to disturb him if he was still sleeping.

He paused in the threshold of the room, his eyes taking in an unusual sight.

The eevee and the skitty's he had expected to see on his friend's bed but not the umbreon. Nor had he expected to see Asami's face relaxed with sleep with a tuft of blonde hair visible under his chin. There was only one person shaped lump on the bed and with how close they were together, they had to be almost intertwined. Their Pokemon mirrored their position at their feet, the eevee and umbreon curled up together with the six skitty's taking up the remaining space on the double bed.

Lips twitching up with a grin, Tao pulled out his phone and quickly snapped off a picture. Quietly he inched further into the room as he put his phone away until he reached the small sick fire Pokemon he had been told about. He scooped the sniffling cyndaquil up and left as quietly as possible.

He didn't want to disturb the lovebirds, after all.


	28. Viability pt 2

Ever since that day at the hospital Asami hadn't been able to shake the off feeling. Thoughts spun around the recesses of his mind, too vague for him to catch barring the unsettled feeling they left him with.

Akihito hadn't said a work about their test results and had immediately taken to planning for an adoption. The process was long and arduous but the kind hearted young man was nothing if not determined. Asami could admit that he was just as keen for a family as his lover was, now that he had had time to warm up to the idea. But still, something didn't sit right with him.

For some reason, it irked him that Akihito just made the assumption to go into adoption without talking about the results. Why, he couldn't say. Because quite frankly, that had been the plan.

And yet…

It rubbed at him but he couldn't place his feelings on the matter. Akihito treated his continual odd mood as disappointment over the results and had made attempts to cheer him up. It only made the unsettled feeling worse but he tried to hide it from his lover. He didn't want to cause him distress over something so stupid.

It finally came to him one day as he sat in his home office staring at a printout of the lab results and a contract to undergo the procedure with his name in place of Akihito's.

He had been the one to push for this procedure.

He had been the one to demand a child of their own instead of adopting, refusing to budge even after Akihito's insistence.

He had asked Akihito to make sacrifices to undergo a procedure with risks and drawbacks and the young man had agreed with little hesitation.

Yet he was not willing to stand up and commit to the same thing.

He held Akihito to a different standard than he himself had been willing to hold himself up to.

How could he ask something of Akihito and not be willing to do the same?

Hadn't he told him over and over again that he would go to the ends of abyss for him?

Wasn't this a paltry thing in comparison to such lofty words? How could he stand up and mean his dedication if he baulked at this?

He wanted a child of them mixed together, a new life born of their love and dedication and their DNA.

He had the money, resources, and body to make it happen.

There was no reason that the slight change in circumstance should hold him back.

With new resolve, Asami picked up his favourite pen and scrawled his signature over the contract. He stood, bring the document with him, and went to seek out his lover.

Akihito sat at the dining table with paperwork spread out in front of him. Asami didn't even have to look to know it was the adoption papers for the young boy they had been considering.

"Ryu!" Akihito greeted as he stepped up behind him. He twisted around in his seat to plant a quick kiss on his cheek before holding up a photo. "I am pretty convinced on Daiki. We've met him a few times now and while he still thinks your scary, when I went to see him one on one this morning, he decided that maybe you were scary enough to scare away the bullies!" Akihito giggled as he put the photo down, affection clearly on his face. He had clicked with the young boy almost immediately. "I said I'd bring you back again before we decided and he seemed really excited!"

Without a word, Asami reached over and pulled out the adoption papers, signing his name on the appropriate dotted line. He'd read over all the details himself earlier and had no qualms about bringing the bright and enthusiastic Daiki into their household, especially when he had bonded so well with Akihito already. While his lover was still gaping at the abrupt change of events, he dumped down the signed pregnancy contract as well.

The only immediate response he got was a strangled sound from Akihito as he swayed in his seat as though he was suddenly feeling faint.

A satisfied grin spread across his face as he steadied the other man, there was going to be some rather interesting changes in the time to come.


End file.
